Kimber (Haze Her)
by DirtyShieldBrothers
Summary: New to the main roster, and far too soon, indie darling Kimber doesn't expect to be welcomed into WWE with open arms, and she is not. After being humiliated, hazed to a horrific degree and robbed she meets Seth Rollins, and her career blossoms as a result. So does love, as she and Seth help each other heal their wounded hearts. (Femslash, slash, het, various kinks/fetishes)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One – Sick Salutations**

The nervous, but friendly smile on Kimber's lips died the moment she walked into the women's locker room. She was greeted by dozens of still-shots of herself, from the amateur fetish porn movies she'd made a few years ago, taped up on the lockers, shelves, and walls. She had half-expected something like this; she had heard many stories about established WWE wrestlers and how they liked to haze new ones. Although she liked to think she had no shame about what she'd done to make ends meet, she blushed when one of the taped-up pictures slipped from a shelf, and slid near her feet. It was from a collection of lesbian wrestling porn "matches", _Hardcore Wrestling Vixens: The New Sorority_ , and Kimber looked at herself naked, green and black-haired, five years younger, and held in a modified clutch by Jyl Enhoff, Jyl's hands squeezing her breasts and pinching her nipples, and realized what she felt was amusement. She bent to pick up the picture, and the next thing she knew, the other women were there.

"Hi, _Kimber,"_ Emma said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Her name's not Kimber," Alexa Bliss, countered, and laughed. "It's _Britney,_ remember?"

Kimber knew she was being tested, and had to prove that she would not be bullied, or she'd never be accepted. She straightened her spine, and looked at each of them from her unique, blue-green hazel eyes. They surrounded her, like a choker of precious gems, talking shit about her to each other, and giggling about it, but each one stopped to return her intense gaze. "Yes, that's right. I'm Britney. Britney-fucking-Melrose, but I'm not allowed to use that name here, so Kimber it is," she replied, and arrogantly cocked her head.

"Well, Kimber cunt-licker, on behalf of the WWE women's locker room, here's a welcoming gift for you, bitch," Alexa said, and raised a fist as if she was ready to strike her, and Kimber automatically dropped her bag and slid into a ready stance. But Alexa just laughed, and before Kimber knew what was happening, she was on the ground, being stomped on by countless feet. Not all of them were going full-force on her, but there were a few kicks in the ribs that really smarted. Kimber stayed silent, they were testing her.

But, when rough hands pulled on and tore off her expensive black jumpsuit, Kimber fought back, and managed to kick Emma square in the ass, making her fall into Dana Brooke and Alicia Fox. "You all are a bunch of fucking _freaks!"_ Kimber snapped, and punched at the hands that tried to rip off her bra.

"Sit on that bitch, Nia!" Alexa ordered, and Nia sat down on Kimber's tanned, tattooed back, and pulled her into a camel clutch. The pain was bad, but Kimber knew Nia could easily break her back if she chose to.

 _"You're_ the freak around here, bitch." Alexa told her. "I mean, just look..." She opened her arms wide at all the shots of Kimber's _New Sorority_ matches, and laughed.

"I'm more than just a former amateur porn star, dumb cunt. You need to spend more time training in the ring, and less time digging through my business, because you can't wrestle. You're just a wannabe actress, a mediocre one at that, and you're just using this industry as a stepping stone while you earn your pushes on your back."

 _"I_ earn stuff on _my_ back?" Alexa countered, cockily, and pulled another picture off a locker and shoved it in Kimber's face. "Tell me again I earn things on my back, bitch! How much money did you earn from _this?_ Eating that fat, nasty, hairy pussy. We _all_ watched your _New Sorority_ matches, all of them, cunt-licker, forever proof that you've slept your way in here."

Even in Nia's grasp, Kimber began to laugh. She couldn't help it. She had been noticed by WWE talent scouts when she was still with RCCW, and they'd reached out to her after she'd made an appearance at an ROH show. It wasn't until after she was signed was it brought to light that she'd made porn in Canada. Naturally, the company would do everything it could to bury that information, but she could no longer work under the name Britney Melrose, she would have to change it. There had been a whole big meeting over it, and it had struck her as so funny that-

"What the fuck are you laughing at, bitch?" Alexa demanded.

"You." Kimber replied, simply.

"Oh, you think this is fucking funny, huh? You want to laugh? Laugh!" Alexa slapped her face. "Laugh!" She slapped her again.

Kimber's anger instantly rose at the outright disrespect of a slap in the face. Her adrenaline shot up, and she barely felt the sting as her face went numb. She shoved the big woman off of her, and immediately grabbed the pixie blonde by one of her ridiculous pigtails, and Alexa gasped in pain. "Oh, is your hair actually real, bitch?" Kimber asked, as she kneed her hard in the gut.

Before she could appreciate the trash laying on the ground gasping for air, she was seized from behind by her bra strap, and it audibly popped as she was yanked to the ground. The garment fell away, putting her tanned, firm, natural D's on display.

"No piercings," Emma remarked. "I was sure she'd have piercings, big ones." The other women laughed.

"Nice rack, but it seems wasted on her," Carmella added.

"And you're just a waste," Kimber replied, and got up again. This time, she was yanked down by her black and white striped tanga panty, face down on the tiles, a big, heavy knee in the small of her back, and black knee pad clad knee on each wrist.

"Don't get your pussy too close to her mouth, Dana," Emma said, and laughed. "She could bite you."

Rough hands yanked down her underpants. As much as she struggled, it was hopeless. She heard a snap, and general laughter, and then she was whipped with a wet towel, over and over again across her perfect, curvy young ass and the backs of her muscle bound legs. Even though it hurt enough to bring tears to her eyes, Kimber's pride was suffering far more than her body. Bits and pieces of the other women's taunts came to her ears through the sharp snaps of the towel. _A lick for the cunt licker... for every New Sorority "match"... you like that, don't you, baby girl?... nostalgic for you..._ Then, she was turned over, arms pinned, and the greatest disrespect of all, they spit on her, all over, her face and her hair, and Kimber couldn't help but scream then, too furious for words, and someone stepped forward and shoved her torn underwear in her mouth, and she was thrown from the locker room and out into the hall, the only mercy given was the towel they'd whipped her with.

Immediately, seething with anger, Kimber got on her feet, spat the ruined expensive silk lingerie out of her mouth, and blindly shoved at the locker room door. It was locked. She looked around, thankfully the hall was deserted, and wrapped her nudity in the cold, dripping towel. It smelled like they may have wet it down in the toilet, or by just straight up pissing on it. She caught sight of a ladies' room ahead, and hurried to it.

To her relief, the restroom was just as vacant as the hall had been, and once the door swooshed closed behind her, she dropped the filthy towel with relief and fought the urge to vomit. She turned on the sink tap and stuck her head beneath, furiously rinsing the spit from her hair and face. Blindly, she grabbed a handful of paper towels and shoved them beneath the tap before using them to clean her beaten, fouled, body as well as she could. The tears wanted to come, but she wouldn't let them. She knew she was making the restroom a complete mess, a hazard with puddles of water all over the floor, but she didn't care.

Once clean, she was at a loss. She had no clothes and no phone. She was freezing. It was then that the tears came closer to spilling over than they had yet. Hopelessness washed over her like a harsh rain from the darkest clouds. She had known she would be tested, hazed, but never had she imagined it would be to that extent. She had expected some cattiness, teasing, maybe even to have her bag thrown in the showers while they were running, but not to be completely taken down and humiliated.

The door swooshed open, and before Kimber could take refuge in a stall, a pretty, pregnant blonde in cute knee-high black boots, black leggings, and an over sized red and black striped sweater she recognized as Renee Young came in. "I'm-I'm sorry," Kimber mumbled, backing away into the nearest stall as her eyes welled with tears. Once she'd locked herself in, she was completely helpless to stop the tears from coming. They rolled down her cheeks so quickly, and her chest ached so badly with the sobs she tried so hard to hold back. The pain was too much, and a small, short whimper escaped her trembling lips.

"Hey. Here." Renee said, very softly, and the red and black sweater was draped over the stall door.

That small, kind gesture, the first she'd received since arriving at the arena, made Kimber completely break down. "Thank you," she managed to whisper before the sobs came freely. She pulled the sweater over her head, it was a maternity garment, and came nearly to her knees, hanging lower in front. From a crack, she could see a blurry sliver of Renee in a tight black tank top at the sinks, fiddling with her short hair in front of the mirrors.

"I just want you to know," Renee began, as she continued to play with her hair, "that I...I don't think it's right what the other girls are doing to you."

Kimber emerged from the stall. "Thanks. I never thought making a few wrestling-themed porn videos would have brought such retribution down upon me." She gave a small smile.

"It's not the really the porn that's got them going after you." Renee stopped her primping, and looked over at the indie princess' reflection, wet black spaghetti hair, mussed black eyeliner.

"Then it's because I'm the new girl."

"That's part of it. Many of them feel like you haven't done your time, not in the industry altogether, but in WWE. You've made a huge name for yourself on the independent circuit, no one can deny that, you have a fan base that's seemingly followed you to NXT, but you were only in NXT for ten weeks, when most people are kept in NXT for years before getting to move up to the main roster. I know that's not your fault, you don't control who gets injured or gets a movie role, but they still resent you for it."

Kimber nodded. "I understand."

"There's a lot you don't understand yet," Renee continued, very seriously. "WWE is _very_ different from the indies. They both take place in a ring, but that's pretty much the end of it. You might go to NXT already knowing how to wrestle, but its where you learn how to _behave._ There are so many written and unwritten rules backstage, and you broke one of them."

"The porn?" Kimber asked.

"No, the fan fiction."

Kimber blushed and looked down, though, like her porn, she did not want to be ashamed of it, but she realized that the kind woman who'd come to her rescue had read all of the sick stories Kimber had written her husband into. When Kimber wrote fan fiction, she only wrote it filthy, heavy on the BDSM. She had written about Dean Ambrose and his Shield brothers in a million different sexually deviant acts, as well as him being into bondage, and locked in chastity. "It's...it's a...a...dirty vice," Kimber stammered. "I'm sorry. I...I haven't written anything since I signed."

Renee smiled. "I'm okay with it, I believe in the right to free speech, fair use, and all of that stuff, and some people are with me on that. But a lot of people _aren't_ okay with it. You should have deleted it when you signed."

"You're right," Kimber agreed, never feeling more humbled.

Renee looked at her phone. "I've got a meeting, I'll see you around."

"Um, could you get my bag for me? They...they threw me out without it."

"Oh, of course. I'll be right back." Renee flashed her a smile, and returned quickly with Kimber's black bag. "It was right outside the door."

"Thanks. Hold on, I'll give you your sweater back right away." Kimber stepped into the handicapped stall with her bag, and pulled off Renee's sweater, and passed it over the door. "Thanks again. For everything."

"No problem. See you around," Renee repeated, and Kimber heard the clack of her boots, and the door whooshing shut behind her.

Kimber unzipped her bag, and lying right on top of her makeup bag was a disgusting welcoming gift, a used tampon, along with the wrapper and bloody plastic applicator from the one its user had replaced the old one with. Gore rose in her stomach, and Kimber turned around to the toilet. Just before she began to retch and spew, an amusing thought came to her: _And they called ME a sick freak._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two – From Britney to Kimber**

It all happened so fast. Not even three years ago, Britney, _no, not Britney, Kimber,_ she reminded herself, would have never imagined she would be working for WWE, the top wrestling promotion in the world. In fact, while helping to build a small indie promotion, RCCW, she often stated she wouldn't work for WWE no matter how much they offered her. In RCCW, Ratchet City Championship Wrestling (later renamed Rampage City Combat Wrestling), Britney Melrose had filled many roles; before, during, and after a show; in the ring and behind the scenes. She had quit her job and relocated to Milwaukee to help found it, and once there, slept on the creator's couch, and dedicated every waking moment of her life to the establishment and later, the advancement, of RCCW. In the beginning, she'd helped draw interested people in through messages on wrestling forums, and Chad, the creator and her housemate, who'd been to wrestling school, trained them in the ring in his backyard. While they toiled in the ring, and in the garage, in a makeshift crossfit gym and weight room, Britney designed logos, t-shirts, fliers, and dreamed of the future. She'd sometimes join the guys for a session of "ratchet crossfit", or accompany them to the backyard ring for their practice matches, mockingly imitating any number of valets and female wrestlers and their entrances. Before long, she was training beside them, creating her own character (based upon Lita, her favorite woman wrestler of all time) and learning how to dive from the garage roof. The wrestling bug had bitten her, hard, and she caught on fast. Before long, she felt as though she was made for the ring.

But, Chad had not wanted to put her in a match, as there were no other females in RCCW at that time, and he did not like man versus woman matches. On what they thought of as their big debut night, their first indoor show, in a veteran's post out in the country, to a roaring crowd of about fifty, Britney's in-ring role was as a mere valet, an ornament on the arm of Tyrone Black, the biggest guy on their limited roster, who had all the personality of a mud puddle, both in the ring and out of it. After all the work she'd put in, she'd felt cheated. In the leather skirt and lace-edged bustier that was so unlike anything she'd ever worn in her life, she'd known she was sexy, but she'd also known she was nothing but eye candy. Something to jack off over, or to think about while doing spousal duty. She had trained just as hard as her male counterparts, and had devoted even more of her life to RCCW, and had gotten the least amount of return or gratitude.

Despite living in Chad's house, Britney did not speak to him for five days after her "debut". She visited nearby gyms, did drop-in sessions at crossfit gyms, even hit a hot yoga studio in search of other women who wanted to get into wrestling. But, it seemed hopeless. Nobody was interested.

And then along came Raven. It was Britney's twenty-second birthday, and the RCCW gang was celebrating after a long Saturday of training with beer and brats on the grill in the backyard, and Britney was perched up on the top rope, laughing at Chad who was drunkenly attempting to turn the brats when a stunning, pale, tall, beautiful girl with long black hair came around from the side of the house in a sweatsuit, looking nervous, but hopeful. A warm feeling ran through Britney, she was the unexpected end of her long search, a woman who wanted to wrestle, and she wanted to dive off the top rope and land in a forward roll at her feet, but even with the alcohol coursing through her, she knew she could not, but she hurried down, and over to the woman with a relieved, but welcoming smile, brushing her t-shirt and redoing her then-red dyed ponytail.

"Are you here for the training?" Britney asked.

"Yes, if you'll take me on. I'm Raven, Raven McCallister. I saw a post on a local forum for local female wrestling talent, no experience needed, and I've always wanted to make it into the industry."

"That was my add. And, I'm Britney Melrose." They shook hands, and Britney felt a spark. Raven had apparently felt it, too, because their eyes met, and the pale woman's cheeks were infused with color. Britney knew she was blushing, too, though under her tan it was hard to appreciate.

"Are you one of the trainers?" Raven asked.

"Well, kind of. We all kind of train each other. Chad's been to wrestling school-" she pointed Chad out, still struggling with the grill, "-but this is about as amateur as it gets. We only recently had our first indoor show..."

From that evening forward, Britney and Raven were inseparable. It was love at first sight, last sight, and every sight, as Raven often said. Best friends, lovers, and they inspired one another creatively in so many ways. Although Raven had had no formal training until then, she was a lifelong fan of wrestling, and possessed an amateur background in quite a few martial arts, just like Britney had, and came ready with ideas for her character and the moves she wanted to learn; power moves, takedowns, submissions. She caught on very quickly, and by the time their next indoor show came around, at the same venue, she and Britney were on the card, and spent weeks planning and choreographing Raven's debut, and Britney's in-ring debut.

It had been the most important, exciting event in Britney's life, until that point. She could still remember what she and Raven had worn, how they'd helped each other fix their hair and do their makeup, the long embrace and deep kiss they'd shared in the hall before Raven's entrance music played. She remembered standing on the other side of the black felt drape, smelling the adrenaline in sweat, dimly hearing the announcer's _"...from Manhattan, The Demoness of Darkness, Raven Night!"_

Later, as RCCW grew, she and Raven often tagged up, Raven as the Demoness of Darkness, and herself as the Duchess of Pain. Britney took on a character more like Raven's, a goth goddess. They trained in Canada together. They had "competed" in _New Sorority_ together. Britney/Kimber wondered if there were any stills of Raven and herself among the pictures taped all over the locker room she'd been kicked out of.

She wished Raven was here now. When Britney was see-sawing about whether or not to accept WWE's offer, it had been Raven who'd pushed her to sign the contract. _But, it's not my dream, it's yours, and I don't want to have it unless you can, too_ , Britney had said. _Yes, my sweet, it was my dream, and because it's no longer mine to have-_ Raven had touched the back of her neck, where the scar from her surgery stood out bright pink against her creamy white flesh, - _I want_ you _to have it. Even more now that I can't._

Raven's career-ending injury came in a women's open tournament in Mexico almost two years ago. Britney had not entered, as had been their plan when they'd opened up their wrestling school that January, they would no longer travel at the same time, one of them would always be at D&D to run it and teach. Raven was facing an inexperienced girl from California in the first round, a tiny, caramel-colored thing who called herself La Puta del Fuego, in the first round. Knowing she was working with someone who was very green, Raven had not had good feelings about it, and was very nervous when she called Britney before the match, and Raven was not usually one to worry. Ten minutes later, Britney got another call, from the owner of the promotion that was hosting the event. Raven had been dropped on her neck by the inexperienced La Puta, had been temporarily paralyzed, but managed to get up and finish the match, forcing her opponent to tap out to her signature crossface. Britney closed the school, left Arianna (their pug) at the boarder, and managed to make it to the hospital very early the next morning. Raven had been sleeping when she'd burst into the room, ready to cry, because she didn't know what to expect. She'd thrown herself on her knees at Raven's bedside, and grabbed her hand in both of hers. Raven had woken up immediately, and gave her a tired, drugged smile. _I knew better than to let her try that fucking power bomb on me,_ she'd said. They'd flown home, and a week later, Raven had neck surgery to repair her broken vertebrae. Although Raven was capable of handling the school about two weeks she was out of the hospital, Britney did not leave Arcata for nearly six months. She worked alongside Raven, training the future of sports entertainment. But, she couldn't stay away from the ring. It was only once she'd stopped wrestling that she realized it was what she was born to do. She returned to the indies, and resumed traveling all over the country, and all over the world, diving from the tops of steel cages, flying from top turnbuckles, kicking total ass, and hearing the cheers and applause.

Then, the WWE scouts had caught up to her after a Ring of Honor show. Britney had wanted to say no outright, but she knew she had to talk to Raven first. And, Raven had pushed her. So, Britney rented a condo near the training center, and made her NXT debut two weeks later. Raven was in the audience for that, front row, and she was acknowledged as an "indie legend" and "part owner of the Demoness and Duchess wrestling school in Eureka, California" during the show.

It hurt so bad not to have Raven beside her. In addition to feeling like a total outcast,she felt somehow incomplete, here and now, standing in front of a public bathroom mirror, as Kimber. After ten weeks of having to use it, she'd gotten used to the name. She knew she wasn't the only one who'd had to take on a new name once she'd signed with WWE, in fact it was more the rule than the exception. Bryan Danielson became Daniel Bryan, Jon Moxley became Dean Ambrose, Kevin Steen became Kevin Owens, and Britney Melrose became Kimber, just Kimber, no last name. Her character was changed, and her signature moves altered and diluted. She was told she could no longer use Raven's crossface, which she'd been using as her finisher as a tribute to her love since Raven's injury, and reverted to the very first finisher she'd used, a frog splash from the top rope. Lame. She'd picked out her new entrance music from three instrumental mixes she was offered. She'd gotten new ring gear, all blood-red satin and black lace, lace-up the back bodice. Gone were her simple wifebeater tank tops and baggy cargo shorts she'd worn throughout most of her career. Gone was her rainbow hair. They, specifically Vince McMahon, had wanted her to bleach her hair blonde, but she'd refused, though she agreed to dye it all one color. Black. Like Raven's hair.

It looked good on Raven, with her pale, creamy skin tone, but it was wrong for tanned and freckled Kimber. Everything about Kimber seemed wrong.

She heard the distinct sound of a piece of paper sliding around on the floor, and a handful of assorted giggles. She picked up the paper, it was her bio from _Hardcore Wrestling Vixens._ There she was, Britney Melrose from Springfield, IL, with green and black hair, a few fewer tattoos, clad in nothing but a very sheer green thong. Her "finishing move", something called "Last Sacrifice to Venus", was also listed. She'd never asked what it entailed.

She felt something tacky on her fingertips. Kimber turned the paper over, and on the back, someone had written "TIME TO GO, STUPID SKANK!" in lipstick roughly the same color as the surprise she'd found while opening her bag. She was disgusted, she would not let herself feel the impotent anger or the shame of a victim, which was the role they were trying so hard to cast her in. But, the message was right, it was time to go.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three – Cleaning Up**

Her match had been changed ten minutes before it was meant to happen. Rather than a three on three tag team match, her partners being Naomi (who hadn't yet done anything to exert her dominance over the new girl with the perverted mind) and Summer Rae, (who hadn't been present at the locker room episode), against Nia, Emma, and of course fucking Alexa, the biggest cunt of them all, it became a big battle royal, the final four to be Alexa, Nia, Naomi, and Kimber. Alexa, of course, would win, and become the number one contender to Natalya's title.

It was the most humiliating match of Kimber's entire career so far, and the only grace she'd felt she was granted was that it took place at a relatively poorly-attended house show. It would not be televised, or even put on the network. But, she knew it would be on the internet, on all the wrestling forums.

It had started off well, she'd gotten a huge pop from the audience when she was introduced, and her crappy music began to play; a lot of indie fans in the audience, she could see lots of Bullet Club t-shirts out there. Not that she had ever been in the Bullet Club, but they knew who she was, they liked her, they followed her. That made her feel amazing, and for a moment, she thought everything would be cool, the other women would set aside their hatred for her and they'd pull off a great match, and come away all looking good. And, maybe afterwards, she'd have proven to them that she did indeed belong here, and they'd have at least a little respect for her. But, she was not allowed to make even one elimination. She was expecting Nia would no-sell her, but Alexa did, too. Twice, she was tripped, and nobody besides Summer Rae bothered to call the moves they used on her. And of course, they made sure each one hurt just enough to get their point across. _We hate you. We don't want you here. You don't even belong here._

And, when it came down to just her, Nia, and Alexa, they hadn't held back at all. Though they were careful to avoid her head, her arms, legs, and body were punched and stomped on. At one point, Alexa had put all ninety pounds of her weight down on Kimber's wrist. Now it was swollen, and she wondered if she ought to stop by the trainers before retrieving her bag from the janitor's closet she'd hidden it away in and heading off into the public restroom to change into sweats for the next part of her journey.

But, she could still move it. It was swollen, and throbbing, but she didn't think it was broken. She'd wrap it, and then-

"Oh, Kimber!" Emma called.

Kimber turned around and saw Emma and Alexa standing outside the women's locker room. "You don't have to change in the bathroom anymore," Alexa told her. "You can come back in."

Kimber had a very bad feeling about the invite. But, she didn't want to seem like a pussy for outright refusing the offer, or just walking away. "I don't have my bag," she replied, as she searched their faces for any foreshadows of betrayal, and there was something there that gave it away instantly, and they knew she knew.

In an instant, Emma had her by her injured wrist, and twisted it. A yelp of real pain escaped Kimber's lips, and helpless tears sprang to her eyes. Automatically, she drove a knee into Emma's gut, and began to flee blindly, the tears pouring down her cheeks. She ran directly into Nia.

"Grab that bitch, Nia!" Alexa barked.

The big woman hit Kimber with a knee of her own, and before Kimber could breathe again, Nia hoisted her up and over her shoulder as though she were a sack of crap, and with Alexa and Emma smacking her ass hard, was carried into the locker room. Nia placed her rather gently down on the tile floor, in the entry way to the shower area. Kimber slid to her knees, and finally was able to draw a breath again, though it hurt like hell.

"Awww, look, bitch is _crying,"_ Alicia said.

"She ain't cried enough yet," Naomi told her, and they shared a laugh.

"Kimber, stop that," Alexa chastised. "You're ruining your makeup, and we want you to look nice."

"For what, dare I fucking ask?" Kimber spattered, as she coughed, still recovering her breath. "I think it's strange that I'm supposedly the one with the really sick mind here. You all-"

"Shut the fuck up. No one cares what you think," Alexa replied, as she lowered the bottom half of her ring attire, and stepped out of it. Her plain black thong followed, and she stood half-naked before Kimber. "Now here's the deal, cunt-licker. I'm going to squat down, and you're going to clean me where the lord split me. Starting here-" Alexa lewdly spread her completely waxed outer labia, revealing a prepubescent-looking tiny, pink pair of inner labia, and almost invisible button of a clit, "-and ending here." She turned around and bent over and pulled her back cheeks apart, showing off a rather loose-looking honeypot that was very wet, and looked somewhat dirty, and a pinkish, puckered asshole surrounded by toilet paper lint. It was disgusting.

"No fucking way," Kimber replied.

"Isn't this the way one of your _New Sorority_ 'matches' ended? Loser cleans up? Well, Kimber, you _are_ a loser, so in the tradition of your alma mater, it's time to clean up. You're going to clean me, and when I'm clean, you're going to clean Emma, and when she's clean, you'll clean the next girl, got it?"

Nia seized her, and bodily pinned her to the ground. She lightly held Kimber's hurt wrist in one hand, ready to crush it and sideline the new girl for months should she not do her task properly. One by one, the whole locker room lined up to be "cleaned" by Kimber before heading off to the showers. It was humiliating, degrading, and beyond disgusting. She threw up three times. The first time, after "cleaning" Alexa, because of her pure hatred for her, and because she tasted awful, and the second time after Carmella decided to release her bladder in Kimber's face. Normally Kimber enjoyed watersports, but Carmella's piss was dehydrated, and gross, as was the entire source it came from, and after having to eat countless filthy, sweaty, stinking pussies and assholes, she couldn't handle it. She broke. She started to cry. Tears and snot mingled with the pussy juice and ruined makeup all over her face. By the time Nia, the very last, laid over her, she had barely enough emotional strength to finish, and vomited up the rest of it when she was done.

"Stupid bitch, left me messier than I was." Nia commented, and delivered a final kick to Kimber's already bruised ribs.

Kimber's fight was entirely gone, for the first time in her life. Her whole body was wracked with pain, and she stumbled into a shower stall, still wet from the previous user. They had left a nearly-empty bottle of body wash, and Kimber turned on the tap as hot as she could take it. She realized she was still wearing her ring attire, and didn't care. She would never wear that outfit again, not even the shoes. She let it drop to the floor, and kicked it into a corner, away from the drain. She used the left-behind body wash, and opened her mouth to let the water run in. She stayed in until she started feeling dizzy, then lumbered out in search of a towel.

Everyone else had gone, but her open bag had been retrieved from the closet, and left on a bench. She approached it with caution, wondering what the hell they'd put in it now. Her things appeared undisturbed, but they were sitting lower in the bag than usual. Her purse, which she usually kept beneath her clothes and makeup and such, was gone. In it was her phone, her money, her credit cards, her ID, and her passport. She was totally fucked. She yanked on her sweats and slid into her Adidas flip flops and began opening every single locker and cupboard in the room. She looked in all the toilets, in all the showers, but it was gone.

She grabbed her bag and left the locker room. She looked in the public restroom she'd changed in earlier, and the janitor's closet. No purse. No money. No way to get to the next show in Memphis. She was crying again, almost running down the hallways looking for anyone who could help her. But there was nobody, nothing. She went to the same door she'd entered through earlier that day, so full of nervous hope, and sat down beside it. Someone would be along soon, she was sure. She wiped her eyes, and tried to steady her emotions. She realized she probably looked like a complete mess, and took out her hair brush.

And, she was right, someone did finally come along. It was Seth Rollins, of all people, it would have to be him, the one she had written the most about, making him a special target once she'd learned he read fan fiction, even though it "disgusted" him. He was also the one whom people had likened her to, in female form, and given the pissed-off, haughty look he shot her as he approached, she was pretty sure he didn't like that, or her. But, she had to try.

"Hey, Seth?"

He stopped, and glared at her. "What?"

"May I use your phone? Please. My purse got stolen, and..." Despite thinking she'd had herself under control, Kimber broke down yet again. "I don't have...anything!" She wailed, and began to sob helplessly into her hands, hoping the man she'd gone out of her way to disgust would have a chivalrous side which could not resist helping a damsel, even a disgusting one, in distress.

"Ah, stop crying already," Seth said impatiently. "I think I know where your purse is."

"You do? Where?" Kimber wiped her eyes on her sleeves and sniffled.

"Give me a second, will you?" Seth pulled out his phone and called someone. "Yeah. I've got that Kimber girl sitting here crying... Yeah, she's crying... Do you have her purse?... Come on, I'm not in the mood for any bullshit... You do?... Then bring it back here... No... Fuck, no!... Fuck!" He jammed the phone back in his pocket, looking more pissed-off than ever.

"Well?" She asked him, even though he looked like he wanted to kill her.

"Let's get going," he replied, with no kindness in his voice. "Looks like I have to take you to Memphis."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four – To Memphis**

Seth's silence made Kimber uneasy. He hadn't said a word since he'd taken the wheel of his rental car, and that was almost half an hour ago. She knew he hated her, she could feel it, and she wanted badly to change that, or it was going to be a long journey. So, she began to talk. "Thank you so much for helping me out. I really needed it. I don't know what I would have done-"

"Yeah." It was little more than an irritated sigh, and he pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"My knight in shining armor who came to my rescue," Kimber added, with a hopeful smile.

Seth blushed, but Kimber didn't know if it was from anger, or a more positive emotion. "Only doing this because I have to," he said, nastily.

Kimber ignored that. "So, how's your wrestling school doing?"

Nothing but a grunt in reply from her driver.

"My partner and I opened our school three years ago. Right now, we're training twelve people, or I should say, Raven and Chad are training twelve people. Chad was my first trainer, here in the States-"

"Yeah, I know you have a wrestling school," Seth replied, coldly, cutting her off again. He turned up the radio, to end any further attempts at conversation.

Kimber gave up. She looked out the window into the darkness, at neon road signs she couldn't read without her glasses, which were also in her stolen purse. Her stomach groaned, and she realized she was starving, not having eaten anything since lunch. And, unless Seth bought her something, she wouldn't be eating again until she got her purse back. She didn't think he would. Apparently, just having her along for the ride was enough of a pain in the ass to him.

The station was fading into static, and Kimber automatically reached over to tune the radio. Seth pushed her hand away. "Don't touch my radio!" He snapped, and found another station.

"Okay, okay. Calm down." Kimber replied, careful to keep her cool. She was on the verge of either crying like a little bitch, or snapping back at her pissed-off companion. She took a deep breath, and felt every single bruise across her back and rib cage.

To Kimber's surprise, Seth exited the freeway. She did not ask why, but after going down the road, he pulled into the parking lot of a small Italian restaurant. _Mama Louisa's, Open 24 Hours,_ the green and red light-up sign declared. So, he wanted to eat. He got out of the car, and slammed the door, then came around to Kimber's side and rapped on the window.

"You coming along?" He asked.

Kimber opened her door and shook her head, and tears welled in her eyes. "I can't. I don't have any money." She could smell pizza, pepperoni pizza, her favorite comfort food, and greasy, delicious garlic bread. Her stomach growled again, so loud her unwilling companion heard it this time.

"You can pay me back. Come on, this is a bathroom stop, too."

"Thank you, Seth." Kimber said, and sniffled.

"Stop crying. There's no crying in wrestling," Seth replied, impatiently, and she followed him into the restaurant.

It was a dark place, with a red romantic air, classic small Italian restaurant. A short, stout older woman greeted them and guided them to a booth, where a votive candle was burning brightly in a red holder. Seth unzipped and removed his hoodie, and asked about the restrooms. The stout woman pointed them out at the back of the restaurant, and told them Lydia would be right with them before leaving them.

Kimber fanned herself with the menu. She wanted to take her hoodie off, too, but in her panic after finding her purse had been purloined, she hadn't put on anything underneath. She hadn't put on any deodorant, either, and sitting here sweating, soon Seth would know it as well. He was evidently thinking of pizza, too, his menu was open to that page.

"What do you want?" He asked her, in that flat, uncaring tone she'd begun to consider his "nice" tone, compared to the snappish, impatient one.

"Pepperoni pizza. It's...it's my go-to comfort food."

For the first time, her companion almost smiled. Almost. His dark eyes softened, and one corner of his mouth twitched. "Mine, too. You need to go wash up. You've got black smudges all over your face."

Remnants of her ruined makeup. "Can I get the keys? I need to get some things out of my bag."

Seth slid the keys across the table. "Think an extra-large will be enough?"

"Yes, thank you."

In the car, Kimber fished through her bag for her makeup case, deodorant, a random gray t-shirt that had "GIRLS' NIGHT OUT" printed across the front in bold black letters, and a bra. In the ladies' room of Mama Louisa's, she put herself back together much quicker than she had been taken apart, and returned to the table. Seth was busy in his phone, but he put it down when she sat down. There was a pitcher of brown soda and two tall glasses filled with ice between their settings. "It's diet Pepsi," he told her. "You didn't tell me what you wanted, so I had to look it up online."

"I'm sorry," Kimber said, then felt stupid for it, because he wasn't being rude to her, for once. "Good thing I filled out that facebook survey," she added, and gave him her trademark goofy smile that usually made whoever she gave it to smile back.

And, it worked. Her grumpy benefactor smiled back, for real, it showed in his eyes. He poured them each a glass of soda, and as Kimber reached for hers, she saw Seth mutely admiring the Japanese cherry blossom tattoo that went from the middle and ring fingers of her right hand all the way up to her shoulder, down her back, and around her side. Not that he could see the entire thing. The "GIRLS' NIGHT OUT" t-shirt was big, and baggy, usually used as gymwear or pjs, so the only tattoos that were showing were on her lower arms and hands. But, once she'd thought of pjs, she couldn't get sleep out of her head. When she saw her travel schedule, she realized she wouldn't be getting much of it. And, just where the hell would she sleep tonight? In the car? Would Seth be generous enough to get her a room? She was pretty sure he wouldn't offer to share his room with her.

"Wow," Seth commented.

"What?" Kimber wanted to know.

"You're actually quiet for once."

"Well, I'm pretty tired." She stressed the point involuntarily, with a yawn, and took a long drink of her soda.

"Ha! You don't know what tired is yet. You're not in the indies anymore, Dorothy."

For the first time in hours, Kimber laughed. "Yeah...definitely not. This...this is like...a whole different world." Her conversation with Renee earlier drifted back to her now.

Seth nodded. "You'll get used to it."

Kimber yawned again. "Sink or swim. And I-" she lifted her arms off the table to allow their server to set down their pizza, "-am a swimmer."

"Thank you," Seth told the waitress, then turned back to Kimber. "I don't doubt that you are. You're withstanding a whole lot of heat right now." He took a slice of pizza and began to munch.

"Yes, they got me bad. And, I know there's more to come. From what I've been told, just about everyone in the locker room has heat on me. And, I think tonight's match showed that in a very public way." Kimber bit into her slice of pizza.

Seth set down his, and took a drink. "Oh yeah. Triple H is _pissed._ He knows the others don't like you, but he never thought they'd go out of their way to sabotage your debut and put on a terrible match. They're not getting off for that one, believe that, as Roman would say."

"It'll just give them one more reason to keep..." Kimber trailed off, and turned her attention back to the pizza. The sentence was meant to end: _ruining my life,_ but she didn't really know Seth, so she didn't know if she could trust him with truth of what they had done to her.

She ended up eating half the pizza he'd paid for, and instantly began apologizing again.

"You apologize too much for what you don't need to apologize for," Seth replied simply, while signing the credit card receipt.

Around two-thirty in the morning, they pulled into the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express where Seth had reserved his room. "I'll sleep out in the car, but can I please come in and use the restroom?" Kimber asked.

"Kimber, it's freezing. I'm not going to make you sleep in the car, I'm not that much of an asshole." Seth grabbed Kimber's bag from the back seat and handed it to her, then took his own rolling suitcase from the trunk. "Wait at the side entrance, I'll let you in, since you don't have an ID to show the front desk."

Kimber waited where she was told, and in a few minutes, Seth came and opened the locked door from the inside with a key card and admitted her. "I couldn't upgrade to a two-bed room, there weren't any available, so I upgraded to a suite, a junior suite, instead. But, there's a sitting room, and a couch." He paused before the elevators and stairs. "It's on the sixth floor. Stairs or elevator?"

"Normally, I'd say stairs, and race you up, but I _really_ need to pee," Kimber replied, and jammed the up button on the elevator.

"Just as well, I didn't want to jostle around my laptop anyway. I've got it packed well, but I baby it. It's like my baby when I'm on the road. Has all my games on it, movies, music, all the goodies." Seth patted his suitcase.

Kimber smiled tightly and shifted her weight from foot to foot, and her eyes across the lighted numbers above the elevator doors. "Grrrr...hurry up!"

Seth chuckled at her.

"It's _not_ funny!" Kimber snapped, though she couldn't help but laugh, too. "I've had to piss for like the past hour!"

"Why didn't you say something? I would have stopped somewhere." They got on the elevator, and he pressed the button.

"I didn't want to be a pain in the ass. Like I know you're tired, and probably just want to get some rest, so I didn't want to cause a delay in you getting that." Kimber paced back and forth as the elevator rose. "Kind of like I won't ask you if I could use your phone to call my wife tonight."

"You and Raven are married now?"

"Not legally, but we had a spiritual ceremony in the mountains just after we moved to Arcata. Raven is very spiritual. I'm not. I'm an atheist, but I'm not a dick about it. She wanted to do something spiritual to celebrate our love, and cement me as her main."

"Her main? Oh, you guys, I mean girls, are still poly. In this business, you almost have to be." Seth laughed. "Room 606," he added, when the elevator stopped.

After Kimber finally got to pee, she divided the blankets and pillows from the king size bed with her new roommate. He even helped her fold the blanket she'd taken, and spread it out neatly on the narrow couch. "You can use my phone, the lock pattern is a letter C. Call Raven, or anyone else you want, and just bring it back to me when you're done so I can charge it. I'm going to take a shower, and then I'll be up for awhile. Even though I'm fucking exhausted, I can't just fall asleep right away in a strange bed, not always."

Kimber almost hugged him. But, instead, she took the offered phone. "Oh my gosh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She squealed, excited like a little kid. She had been wanting to talk to Raven all day, even more than she wanted her purse back.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five – A Secret Revealed**

The moment Kimber heard Seth close the bathroom door, she used his phone to call Raven. She answered on the first ring. "Hello?" She asked, in her British accent, which had started off as part of her character, and became natural. Her tone was worried, and pissed off all at the same time, but Kimber went weak in the knees hearing her voice, and she sat down on the couch, tucking one foot beneath her.

"Raven, honey, it's me."

"Oh, fuck, sweetie, I've been worried sick about you! I tried to call you, but I didn't get an answer the first two times, and the second time some bitch picked up. I asked for you, and after some giggles and talking in the background, some other bitch got on the phone and said 'We got your bitch, bitch' and hung up. I tried calling back, but no one picked up again. What happened, babe?"

"They hazed me. It went a lot further than I could have ever imagined. And, they stole my purse. I'm using a borrowed phone right now, so I don't want to talk too long, but once I get mine back, I'll tell you all about it. It was bad, Raven, they sabotaged my debut and made me look awful. Everyone hates me, and nobody wants me here." Kimber tried to hide her sad emotions, but her voice cracked, and gave her away.

"Where are you now?"

"In Memphis, at a Holiday Inn Express. I wish you were here with me."

"Me too, babe. I miss you so much. How did you get your rental car and room without your ID or money?"

"I didn't. I'm entirely dependent on the reluctant kindness of Seth Freakin' Rollins. He let me ride along with him, bought me something to eat, and now I'm squatting in his hotel room, talking to you on his phone."

"Ooooh..." Raven teased. "Female Rollins meets her match."

"Girl, please, you're the one with the Shield obsession, not me. Besides, he's kind of a jerk, and he hates me, too. He said he's only helping me out because no one else will."

"No man can resist a damsel in distress. Especially one as beautiful and stunning as _my_ wife. You should have companionship when you're one road, my love. Wink, wink."

"Raven!" Kimber scolded. "And, no thank you. You know I think he and Dean are made for each other."

"Where is he now? I take it you're not having this conversation in front of him."

"No, he's in the shower. He'll probably be out soon, so I should wrap this up."

"Okay, my love. Call me when you get your phone back. And, I'm going to look on the internet for fan videos of your debut."

"Oh, Raven, don't. It's terrible. Seth told me that Triple H is super-pissed about how the women handled that match, so they're going to be in trouble. Definitely won't help endear me to them. I love you."

"I love you."

They hung up, and Kimber set Seth's phone down on an end table and reached under her shirt to unhook her bra. She slid it off, and went over to her bag and began sorting her clothes, at the same time double-checking to make sure nothing else was gone, and sorting the dirty from the clean. Maybe if she offered to do his laundry along with hers tomorrow, Seth would pay. She pulled out her toothbrush, dental floss, and toothpaste. She heard her benefactor leave the bathroom, but he didn't come out of the bedroom. Kimber brushed her hair, and braided it for the night, as she always did, to give him time to get dressed before she invaded his privacy.

In a few minutes, she rose from the floor with her dental hygiene supplies and grabbed Seth's phone from the end table. She cradled them in her left arm. Her wrist was still sore. She knocked softly on the door frame.

"Come in." Seth was sprawled out on the big bed, wearing a pair of black nylon gym shorts. A paperback book was in one hand. Kimber wanted to ask him what it was, she couldn't see the author or title without her glasses, but then thought better of it, probably not the best topic to bring up, considering the things she'd written about him.

She handed him his phone. "Thank you very much."

"Mhmm," he replied.

Kimber headed off to the bathroom and did the rest of her bedtime rituals. She was beyond exhausted at this point, she could barely keep her eyes open. She left the bathroom, and said goodnight to Seth, who replied with the same, though he didn't take his nose out of his book.

Kimber was awake by 7:30. From the other room, Seth was snoring loudly, and she tiptoed through the bedroom and into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and tiptoed back out to grab her shower supplies and some gym clothes (black capri-length yoga pants and a D&D t-shirt). As sore as she was, hitting the hotel gym was laughable, but it was in her contract, she had to work out. She hoped the shower wouldn't wake Seth.

The punishment she had taken yesterday showed on her body today. She was covered with bruises, the warm water stung the welts on her ass and the backs of her thighs, and her wrist screamed in protest as she washed and conditioned her hair. She should really wrap it, but she didn't want to call attention to it.

When she left the bathroom, Seth was no longer snoring, but he was still asleep, and to her amusement, he was humping the bed and moaning incoherently. Kimber knew she should just leave the room, but her bare feet seemed stuck in the thick carpeting. She watched as he thrust himself into the mattress over and over again, and then, through the mushy moans, a lustful sigh of words: "Oh, Dean...don't...stop..."

Kimber couldn't believe it. Were her stories about Dean and Seth as lovers not far from the truth? Was Seth dreaming of a fantasy, or reliving in a dream? Either way, it was hot as fuck, and despite the pain she was in, her mind was teeming with filthy thoughts of Dean and Seth doing all kinds of filthy things together, right out of her stories. She backed out of the bedroom, closed the door almost all of the way, and retreated to the couch. It wouldn't take long; she was too aroused. She wouldn't even need to put her hand in her pants, but she pulled her blanket over herself anyway before touching herself. She was so wet she had soaked through her skintight yoga pants, and as she ran a finger up to her swollen, throbbing hot clit, her whole body shuddered, and she bit down on her lower lip to stifle a cry. No, it would not take long at all. She wanted to prolong it, she shouldn't, Seth could wake up at any moment, but the thought of Dean and Seth as lovers was the hottest thing in the world to her. She had dedicated endless pages to their relationship. Yes, she'd done other pairings as well, but it was the coupling of Dean and Seth which got her off like no other pairing or grouping could. And, it was real. In the other room, Seth was fucking his bed and dreaming about Dean. She heard his words over and over in her mind as she wound her finger around and around her clit, not daring to touch it dead-on, for she would cum immediately. _Oh, Dean, don't stop._ She desperately wanted to know what Seth didn't want Dean to stop doing to him. She bit down gently on her left bicep to keep from making any sound. Fragments of a thousand possible scenarios flew through her fevered mind, and she gently stroked her clit, upwards, and her whole being seemed to explode when she came.

She could have fallen back asleep after that. It had been much-needed. But, she had to change her pants. She quickly pulled on underwear and a pair of black shorts, and packed all of her dirty laundry into a drawstring bag she kept for that purpose. Now, she just needed Dean's lover to wake up so she could ask him for money to do the laundry. She brewed a cup of coffee in the Keurig. A few minutes later, she heard the shower running. She had to know if Seth shot his load, and hurried to the bedroom and pulled back the covers. There was a fist-sized wet, sticky spot on the white sheets, yes, and some whitish drips, she just _had_ to touch it, she was a pervert. His nylon shorts were cast into a corner, and she picked them up. They were full of cum. A very big load. She wondered how many of his loads had ended up on or inside Dean. Maybe he'd been in a bad mood yesterday because his balls were bursting.

The shower shut off. Kimber dropped the shorts where they'd been, and went to feign innocence on the couch. She was wrapping her wrist when Seth came in, dressed in tight jeans and a t-shirt from some crossfit gym. "Good morning," he said.

She took that as a good sign, and smiled. "Good morning."

"You snore, by the way."

"I know. So do you. Would you like a coffee?"

"I'll get it. What happened to your wrist? I noticed it looked swollen last night."

Kimber blushed with embarrassment when she remembered the battle royal, and what followed. "Part of my hazing," she said, quietly.

"Did you see the trainers?"

Kimber shook her head. The high wave she'd been riding before was all but gone. She was depressed. "It's not broken or anything. It still works. Besides, I don't want to be seen as a pussy. Not being labeled a pussy is about the only thing I've got going for me right now."

"Want to go grab some breakfast downstairs?" Seth asked. "It's free," he added.

"I'd like to do some laundry. I'll do yours, too, if you want, but I'll need to borrow more money from you to get it done."

"Of course," he replied, but his tone was kind. "Thank you for offering. Um, is it too much to ask to wash my gear, too? I mean, you have to wash yours, anyway."

Kimber remembered leaving that skanky, blood-red gear and those black thigh-high boots in a wet pile in the shower. "I left my gear in the arena. I don't mind washing yours, though."

"You left your gear?"

"Deliberately. It almost felt cursed. If I wore it again, I'd only be reminded of that embarrassing match, and everything else. Fuck, I wanted the ring to open up and swallow me whole." Kimber buried her face in her hands, her mind replaying last night's public humiliation.

"Anyone who matters in this industry knows you were sabotaged. Anyone who follows any wrestling besides WWE knows how talented you are and remembers the spots you've done. Hell, I remember seeing you dive from the stands and end up through a table. Your forearm was bleeding, your nose was bleeding, but you just kept on like it wasn't so. That's bad ass. Come on, there's a laundry room down on the first floor, we can put the wash in before we grab some food."

"Are you saying you're a fan of the Duchess of Pain, Britney Melrose?" Kimber asked, and raised an eyebrow at him.

Seth's only reply was an enigmatic smile.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six – The Hard Way**

After breakfast, Seth waited down in the laundry room to make sure their clothes didn't get stolen while Kimber washed his ring gear by hand in the kitchenette's sink up in the suite. All three sets stank to high hell, like he never washed them, ever. Totally gross. She had to unwrap her wrist, and wash everything twice before it was clean. She wrung everything out as best she could with her bad wrist, and hung it all above the heating registers.

When she came back to the laundry room, Seth had a surprise for her. Her purse! This time, she did hug him, and to her surprise, he didn't push her away, though he didn't hug her back. "Alexa texted asking what hotel I was at, and Ellsworth brought it over."

She sat down beside him, shaky with relief, and clutched her purse to her chest. She closed her eyes, and a single tear ran down each of her cheeks.

"Hey, hey, what did I tell you? There's no crying in wrestling, remember?" Seth smiled to show he didn't want her to cry, and gave her a gentle nudge.

"There is sometimes," Kimber replied. "But I'm crying because I'm happy, relieved. I appreciate so much what you've done for me last night and today. I've...I've always taken a lot of pride in being able to take care of myself, pay my own way. It was so hard for me to ask you for help. I've never been in a position to need to ask for help. Which reminds me..." Kimber unzipped her purse. Her phone (dead), glasses case, keys, tampons, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, Lypsyl, body spray, hairbrush, emergency makeup, emergency paperback (currently _To the Lighthouse_ ), and wallet were all present, but her passport was nowhere to be found. "I think I have about three hundred in cash, and-" Kimber opened her wallet. Her cash was there, three hundred and fourteen dollars.

Her credit cards, debit cards, and any form of identification were still missing. In one of the slots, a multi-folded note was jammed. _Read me_ was written on the front, in red ink no less, Kimber was really beginning to develop a hatred for the color red. She obeyed, unfolding the note, and Seth shifted in his seat to get a look, too. The note was also written in red.

 _Dear_ _Cunt-sucking, ass-licking, perverted lunatic bitch_ _Kimber: Everything's here bitch, the exception being your cards and your passport. If you want those back, you have to earn them back, bitch. The hard way. See you in the locker room! Good luck, ass-licker! -The REAL Sorority_

Seth shook his head in disbelief. Kimber balled up the note in her left hand, barely feeling the pain it caused her wrist.

"This is extreme," Seth said.

"You don't know even half of it," Kimber replied, and got up to pitch the note in the trash. She folded her arms, and leaned against a dryer, her back to Seth. She was so ashamed. Not a minute ago she was sure she'd be able to pay him back and go about her merry way. Now she had to ask him if she could continue to stay with him. Raven could send a Moneygram, to him, since he was the one with the ID, but what if he said no? Would there be anyone else willing to accommodate her into their travel plans? And, she had to get her ID back before Wednesday morning, because that was when her flight home was scheduled for.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Seth asked, softly.

"Oh, I don't know... I didn't even tell Raven everything. I told her about the match, but not that they tried to break my wrist, or any of the other stuff." She still didn't look at him. "I'm...I'm in a lot of pain today." She pulled up the legs of her knee-length shorts, and revealed the welts on the backs of her thighs. She heard Seth suck in his breath sharply, in shock.

"Kimber-" he began.

"That's only the beginning. Well, not the very beginning, but it began like I expected. I knew damn well that nobody was going to welcome me with open arms, I knew I was going to be harassed for being a part of _Hardcore Wrestling Vixens,_ I even knew I was going to be physically attacked and probably thrown out of the locker room. But they had a lot more planned for me. They literally tore my brand-new dress clothes right off me, even my underwear, beat me with an ice-cold wet towel that smelled like it had been soaked in a used toilet, spat on me, and threw me out, naked and without my bag." Kimber continued, staring blankly at the heat setting dial on the dryer. She heard their washer stop, and broke her trance to tend to it.

"No, I'll get it," Seth told her, and beat her to it. "Baby your wrist all you can. You should've wrapped it up again."

Kimber shrugged.

"Anything of yours you don't want in the dryer?" He asked.

"My bra," she mumbled.

Seth laughed, but his face was pale. "It's all tangled up in everything!"

Kimber gave a wan smile. "I'll get it." She freed her bra from the rest of the clothing and draped it over the top of the dryer. She sat down and blankly stared at their clothes going around and around inside. "I fixed myself up as well as I could in the nearest restroom," she continued. "But I was still naked until Renee came along. She's such a sweetheart."

"Mhmm," Seth agreed, but there was a strange pain in his face.

"She brought me my bag. She told me that not everyone hates me. It feels like it now, though. After that travesty of a match, they..." She trailed off. Why the hell was she telling Seth all of this? It wasn't as though he was a close friend, or a crisis line worker, or a shrink, he was just there, and she should just shut up.

"I don't hate you."

Kimber looked over at him in surprise and with a doubtful pout.

"At first, I thought I did. But, you're hard to hate. You're strong, honest, respectful, and confident. And no one, with the exception of Paige and Charlotte, can even come close to the amount of sheer, seemingly natural talent you have in the ring."

"Ha! Tell that to the rest of the roster."

"I think they'll come to accept you in time. Everyone faces a little...discrimination and roughing up backstage."

A _little?_ Fuck, Rollins, that's sugarcoating to the extreme in my case. And, it's not even over. I have to earn my ID back the hard way, and in less than three days or I won't be able to get on a plane."

"Kimber, if you don't get your ID back, you can come with me for the off days. And, you can ride and crash with me for _RAW_ and _Smackdown,_ too. That's one thing you don't have to worry about."

Kimber felt a little relief rise above the tempest of torment. "Thank you. I can pay my way now. If you'll pick it up, I can have Raven send you a Moneygram."

"Of course," Seth agreed, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I need to get a new outfit to wear to the arena tonight. And, I'm under contractual obligation to work out, so I need to do that, too."

He laughed. "Go upstairs and charge your phone and call your girl." He pulled out his wallet, and handed her his driver's license. "And wrap that wrist. Once the wash is done, I'll bring it up and we can go pick up your money and go shopping. We'll do a drop-in workout at a gym I've been to before."

Several hours later, they'd completed the day's tasks. Kimber had money in her wallet, a brand-new ensemble to arrive at the arena in, and had gone to the gym, though she hadn't done anything involving her left arm. At the gym, she and Seth had been spotted by fans almost instantly, and even though Kimber had heard he could be an asshole to fans, he was pleasant and accommodating. Kimber was never an asshole to fans. Although she didn't always enjoy meeting them, and today was one of those days, she never let that show. She posed beside Seth and random people, smiling, her cherry-blossomed arm around shoulder after shoulder. Some of them asked her about her D&D t-shirt. Some of them asked her when she would debut on television. One woman asked her if she and Seth were "together".

They were together now, in the bathroom of the suite, sharing the double-vanity like a married couple as they got ready to go to the arena. Kimber didn't even know if she had a match yet, but even if she did not, she was still going to show up at her best, to show those other women she would not be trampled upon. She would get her ID back tonight. She finished her makeup, and started undoing the rollers from her hair and gently combed the soft curls and fixed a half up-do that had a 1950s flair to it, in good keeping with her new dress. It was short-sleeved, black with white piping around the hem of the skirt, collar, and cuffs, white buttons up the front, with a tight bodice and ample skirt. Her shoes, which she'd not yet put on, were not vintage fashion, but black platform pumps, adding three inches to her five-five.

Since she and Seth would return to the hotel for the night, she was able to pack just her gym bag for the show. She left her purse in the safe. On the way to the arena, she was completely silent, nearly sick with stress and worry. Her heart throbbed, and her bladder kept time with it. She was sweating, her stomach was churning, and her chest hurt. She thought she would either cry, or throw up and then cry. She felt very cold, and tingling goosebumps rose up on her whole body as Seth pulled the car into a spot in the underground garage.

Kimber took a deep breath, straightened her spine, and grabbed her bag. Some of the cruiserweights were hanging around, and all of them shook Kimber's hand and made small talk with her, so she saw it as a good sign. Seth stopped her in the hall before the locker rooms and gave her a small hug.

"Good luck, okay?"

She nodded, and watched him disappear into the men's. She turned around and Alexa and Emma were waiting for her. "How's the dick taste?" Emma asked her.

"Don't you look nice," Alexa said, sarcastically. "That dress. Black and white, same colors as a French maid. Did you and Seth do a little role playing last night? Were you his little French maid?"

"Let's just nix the small talk and pleasantries," Kimber said, having drawn strength from the realization that at least part of their hatred for her was rooted in jealousy. "I want my cards and passport, now."

"Oh, you'll get them in due time, if you're a good little bitch and do everything we tell you to do ," Alexa replied, and opened the locker room door. "Go inside."

Kimber started to, then Alexa jumped in front of her. "When I tell you to do something, you are to reply 'yes Ma'am' or 'yes, Mistress'. You are to address _all_ of the Real Sorority using those same titles of respect. Do you understand?"

Kimber's face helplessly reddened with anger and shame, but she swallowed her pride and bowed her head. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Very good, puppyslut." Alexa stepped aside and Emma laughed as she followed Kimber into the locker room. "Now get down on your hands and knees."

"Yes, Ma'am." She got down on all fours, and tried not to scuff her shoes. The tiles dug into her knees, the surface completely unyielding.

"Whenever we allow you in our locker room, you are to always be on your knees, and to move about on your hands and knees, like the dog you are, unless one of your Mistresses tells you to do otherwise. You are a dog, and we will address you as such, or as puppyslut. You will not speak unless spoken to. Now come and get your puppyslut clothes."

"Yes, Ma'am." She crawled, using her knees and right hand, over to the entrance to the shower stalls and sat down. A circle of women surrounded her, but she did not let her fear show. Instead, she conveyed submission, acceptance. No, she would not be a bad dog, she would do whatever her owners told her to do. Alexa stepped forward, and ordered her to strip completely nude. Of course, Kimber repeated the same two words, and complied. After she'd done so, she was surprised to hear nothing, the room had gone silent, and she realized they'd been shocked to see the results of what they'd done to her the night before. Kimber grasped at that tiny straw of pity, and kept her head low so they couldn't see her smile.

"Lift your hair up, puppyslut." Alexa finally said, and snorted at the tattoo on the back of her new pet's neck, a pretty, flowing script letter M that she had designed herself, the meaning of which was her last name, of course. Alexa buckled a pink collar around her neck. It was a regular dog collar, and had been decorated with pink fur and rhinestones. It _screamed_ "puppyslut". There was a tag on it, but Kimber didn't have a chance to read it, and now couldn't. "We own you now." Alexa clipped a pink leash to Kimber's collar. "Why don't you turn around, and look in the mirror and how pretty and right you look in your skanky collar, on your leash?"

A few people parted ways so Kimber could look at herself in the mirror. Naked, bruised, on her knees, collared and owned, surrounded by a sea of beautiful women dressed to the nines. It looked like a scene out of a porn. "Do you like that, being our little puppyslut?" Alexa asked her.

What else could Kimber say? "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good girl," Alexa praised. "Now, turn around, puppyslut, and spread yourself. Let's see how badly how eighteen hours of fucking Seth has worn you out."

"We didn't fuck, Ma'am," Kimber replied, as she put herself on full display.

"Come here, girls, feel the heat off of that," Alexa said, and Kimber felt several hands hovering over her pussy in succession. "Can't tell me she ain't been fucking."

"I don't know," Carmella said, as she bent down for a closer look at their new pet's junk. "She don't look like she's been fucking. Don't smell like it, either."

"One way to find out," Alexa replied, and prodded Kimber with a finger. "Oh yes, she's tight...and not at all very wet. I'm not even sure I can get all the way inside her-" She thrust her finger inside, and Kimber gasped in pain; her insides felt raked, and Alexa jabbed her bladder from the inside and she nearly peed all over the floor. Instinctively, she moved away, and sat down on her legs.

"Little puppysluts are known to be liars, but I reckon this one is telling the truth, this time. There's no way in hell Rollins hit that," the blonde proclaimed, and sucked her finger. "Believe it or not, she tastes good."

"I believe it," Carmella said. "Our puppyslut smells nice, like a bouquet of flowers."

"There's probably no way in hell Rollins _would_ hit that," Emma countered.

"I think our little puppyslut has a nice one," Alexa said. "And she's got that dark hair and all those tattoos, he loves that shit." She patted Kimber on the head. "Good puppyslut. That's for having a nice pussy."

The rest of the Real Sorority laughed. Kimber squirmed. "May I use the restroom, Ma'am?"

Alexa slapped her. "Didn't I say not to speak unless you were spoken to?"

"Yes, Ma'am, but-"

"Dogs don't use the restroom, anyway. They piss on the floor, when their owners allow them to."

"Ma'am, please, I'm about to piss myself."

Alexa laughed. "I don't care if you piss yourself. But, since you've been overall a good dog, come here." She yanked Kimber over to a drain in the floor. "Go. Squat, like a dog, and relieve yourself into the drain."

Kimber hovered over the drain and obeyed, not even caring that everyone was watching her, the relief was all that mattered. "Good little puppyslut," Alexa praised, and stroked her hair again. "Come, you need to help us get ready for tonight." She tugged Kimber by her leash into the dressing area.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven – "She Has to Look Good Tonight"**

Kimber spent the next hour and a half helping the Real Sorority with their hair, makeup, even lacing up their boots and taping their clothes to their bodies. Then, Alexa gave her permission to put on her own ring attire. This set was a Paris-green pair of satiny leggings and matching bralette with black lace and satin trim. Black shoes with black shin guards and knee pads. She wrapped both of her wrists in black tape. Close enough to a mirror, she could see the tag on her collar. Like the collar, it was pink. One side was engraved with _Property of The Real Sorority,_ and the other side said _puppyslut._

Emma came in from the toilet area. "Is that the Hurricane I see? Look out, there's a hurricane comin' through!"

"I think she's going for more of a Power Ranger look. She's the green one!" Naomi declared, and laughed.

"Let's find a mask for our luchadora," someone else suggested.

"Later," Alexa said. She was giving Kimber a critical look-over, the pink lips Kimber had penciled in and painted pursing with trouble when she settled on the big bruise on Kimber's chest, and the many others on the exposed places. "Her tattoos help some, but I think she should really wear a t-shirt. You don't have any puppyslut merchandise yet, do you?"

"No, Ma'am," Kimber replied. It wasn't true, she did have merchandise, but not WWE Kimber merchandise, and she knew that was the kind the little pixie bitch was referring to.

"How about a plain black t-shirt? Gym shirt?"

Kimber shook her head.

"Fuck, do any of you have a black shirt for puppyslut to wear to the ring so she doesn't look so fucked up?" Alexa demanded.

Lots of scrambling through bags and lockers. "Here's one!" Carmella declared.

"Bitch, that's mine!" Alicia snapped, and tore it from the smaller woman's hands. "And you ain't going to put it on no goddamn puppyslut!"

"Alicia, give it here, now!" Alexa demanded. "Fuck, we don't have time for this!"

"I got all the time in the world, Miss Bliss. I ain't on the card tonight. And, I ain't giving you my top."

Alexa smiled coldly, and Alicia turned around to see Nia standing over her, hands on hips, ready to rip her apart the moment Alexa said go. "You don't want to challenge me, Alicia." Her voice was like crushed ice. "Give me your top, now."

Alicia threw it at her, and slammed past Nia and out the door. Alexa ordered Kimber to remove her collar and lead, and put on the shirt. Kimber obeyed. It was essentially a tight-fitting, long-sleeved long underwear shirt. "There," Alexa declared.

"I don't know," Carmella said. "You know what Triple H said, that she has to look good tonight. She looks...stupid. Like a Power Ranger."

"She ain't going to look good, anyway," Emma snapped, and shot the locker room pet a dirty look.

"I can alter the shirt," Alexa suggested. "Scissors!" She called, as though she were a surgeon in an operating room, and she was handed what she asked for from somewhere in the crowd of observers. She handed Kimber a hair claw. "Kneel down, puppyslut, and put your hair up. Mistress Alexa is going to get you all ready for your match with Summer Rae tonight, make sure you look very, very pretty, because those in authority say I have to."

Kimber again did as she was told, and Alexa took the scissors to Alicia's expensive top. "Don't move, puppyslut, or I'm bound to slip," she threatened, while cutting thumb holes at the end of the long sleeves. But she didn't play with the scissors, like Kimber had expected her to. She actually did an excellent job of transforming the boring black shirt into a cool cover up, very much like the stuff she used to wear when she was in the indies, only often with a pair of cargo capri pants rather than tights.

"There you go. Now what do you say?"

"Thank you, Ma'am." Despite the strange role she was in, the shirt made her feel somewhat anchored, soothed, and she was glad Alexa didn't want her going to the ring looking like a Power Ranger, no matter what her reasons for it were.

"Good. It's very 'you', puppyslut. Now come sit down on my lap and give me a kiss." Alexa sat down on a bench and patted her lap.

Kimber started to sit crossways, and Alexa smacked her arm. "No, stupid, the other way." Kimber straddled her, and kissed her enemy full on the lips.

"Good girl! Now go and hash out your match with Summer."

"Yes, Ma'am." Kimber got off Alexa's lap, and saw Summer beckoning her from behind everyone else, with a friendly smile. Kimber couldn't help but return it.

"Let's find a nice, quiet place to talk," Summer suggested.

"Okay, Ma'am." She followed Summer on one hand and both knees to the corner of the locker room, far from the rest of the Real Sorority.

"Kimber, you don't have to call me Ma'am, or Mistress. I'd really rather you didn't." She sat down beside the kneeling girl. "And, you don't have to be on your knees, either. I don't agree with what the other girls are doing to you. I'll admit I thought the pictures were funny, but it stopped being funny when they threw you out naked. Everything else they've done goes completely over the line. I'm _so_ sorry this is happening to you." Summer's pretty aqua eyes were red-rimmed, and glistening with tears. She tilted her head up, to make them run out of the corners of her eyes, so as not to mess her eye makeup. She sniffled. "And I'm sorry for laughing."

"Thank you for trying to work with me last night. You're the only one who tried to help."

"Emma threatened me for doing it, but my contract's almost up, and I doubt it'll be renewed, so I told her to fuck off." Summer smiled again. "She's _so_ jealous of you. Now, let's throw some things out there."

Despite Kimber's in-ring skills being at a much higher level than Summer's, they put on a great match together, and since it was a house show, Kimber finished her with Raven's crossface, and the babyfaces hugged afterwards, and both came away looking like roses. If the bosses said anything about her use of the crossface, she'd simply tell them exactly what had been happening to her the last two nights.

She did not return to the locker room after the match. Nobody said she had to, and that would be her excuse if they confronted her about it later. She stayed in her ring attire, and went to get a plate of food. She sat down on a steel step and watched the rest of the show from just behind a screen.

"Hey, Kimber. Mind if I sit down? I think my ankles are about to pop."

It was Renee, and Kimber scooted over to give her room. The pregnant woman sat down on the step heavily, with an "oof!". "How much longer til you have the baby?"

Renee caressed her tummy. "Almost three months, but I wish it were coming sooner."

"Boy or girl?"

"We decided not to find out. It's driving people nuts, because they want to plan showers and buy gifts, but Dean and I want to be surprised. We did ask the ultrasound tech to confirm that there were genitals of one sex or the other present, and she did. Do you and your partner have any kids yet?"

"No. Raven wants kids, someday, but she can't get pregnant, so one of her other partners, or heaven forbid, I, will have to be surrogate. Of course, as her wife, I would be in the role of mommy as well, which is fine, I love kids, but I don't want to have one of my own."

"You're polyamorous?" Renee asked.

"Well, Raven more than me. She's with two other people right now, Lo and Tansy. She's been with Lo almost as long as me, so just under six years, and Tansy for three."

"Do you all live together? Like sister wives?"

Kimber laughed. "No. We all do hang out sometimes, or take a trip together, but they are Raven's partners, not mine. Raven and I live together, in Humboldt County. Tansy lives near Redding, up in the mountains. Lo lives in New York. They come to visit with her, Tansy is with her now, and Raven goes to visit them regularly."

"What about you? Do you have other long-term partners? Sorry if I'm being to personal, but I've never known anyone who was poly, it's intriguing."

"No, but Raven is always encouraging me to seek companionship, 'wink-wink', when I'm on the road."

Renee laughed. "I saw some pics on instagram of you and Seth with some fans at a crossfit gym. 'Companionship'?" She asked, and raised a clever brow, just as Kimber often did.

"Pity," Kimber replied, before bursting into giggles, too. The thought of having a friends with benefits arrangement with Seth was ridiculous to her. He belonged with Dean. "I do owe Seth an awful lot, though. If not for him, I wouldn't be able to travel because the Real Sorority stole my purse."

"The Real Sorority? What the hell is that?"

"The latest backstage faction. They're currently holding on to my ID, passport, and cards." Kimber realized she would have to go back to the locker room to see her owners; she wouldn't get her things back if she didn't. "I should get going."

"Hey, Dean and I are going out for all you can eat tacos after the show. You and Seth should come along."

"I'd love to, I'll see what Seth says."

"What I'd say about what?" Seth asked, and Kimber spun around in surprise to see him there, in ring gear and Kingslayer t-shirt, hair dripping everywhere.

"Oh! Renee just invited us to get some tacos with her and Dean after the show."

"Thanks for asking, Renee, but my stomach's been iffy ever since lunch," Seth said, and put his hand on it for emphasis. "I just want to get this match over with and go back to the hotel. Kimber, you should start getting ready so we can go right away, and beat traffic. I don't care what they want, I'm not staying around after the show tonight." He walked away, towards the entrance ramp. Kimber looked after him. He looked like he'd been lying.

"The invite is still extended to you. We could drop you off at your hotel afterwards," Renee said, sweetly.

"Thanks, but I'd feel like a third wheel. I'll see you around."

"I don't know what happened between Dean and Seth, but they don't seem to be friends anymore. Dean won't talk about it, but I know he misses Seth. I was hoping maybe, by bringing them together, they'd start to fix whatever went wrong." Renee said, and sighed. "I don't think Seth is ready yet."

That almost made Kimber forget all about her own problems. It was more evidence that Dean and Seth had, at one time, been more than just friends and Shield brothers. She had to help fix that bromance. "I...I don't know Seth that well yet. But, I know he was lying about being sick; he's not a very good liar. I'll try talking to him."

"Thank you. Did you want me to come to the locker room with you? They won't do anything with me around."

"They probably won't give me my stuff back, either. I appreciate the offer, though."

Renee rose to give her a hug, her second of the night. "Be safe. I'll see you soon."

Kimber stepped into the locker room, eager to get whatever damn task they had for her next over and done with, and immediately dropped to her knees, to show her submission. To her relief, everyone was already dressed.

"Where have you been, puppyslut?" Alexa demanded. "Helping Seth release a little tension before his match?"

"No, Ma'am, I was talking to Renee-"

"I was taking to Renee," Alexa mimicked. "Bitch, it doesn't matter what you were doing, you weren't here when we needed you. But, since you're just a stupid puppyslut, and I didn't specifically tell you to be here, what could I expect?" She did not expect Kimber to answer her, and went on. "Now, since you've otherwise been such a very good dog, I'm going to give you one card back. You don't get to choose it, I already have. I was going to make you do something else to earn this, but we've got plans tonight, so here you go. Enjoy your Macy's card." She flicked it into Kimber's face, and they marched out, leaving her alone.

Disappointment washed over her like rain. She shed her ring attire, sprayed herself with a musky body spray, and put her dress back on. She peeled the tape from her wrists and hands. She checked her makeup and hair, thinking of the fans might be waiting outside the arena or the hotel to take her picture. Well, most of them would want Seth's picture, but she would be a part of it.

He was waiting for her outside the locker room. "How did everything go?"

"Better than yesterday. They gave me my Macy's card back. So, if there's anything you want from Macy's, my treat," Kimber told him with a sigh. "Go figure they'd give back the card that's the least helpful to me."

"It's okay. I meant what I said earlier. I'll take care of you. Besides, I've gotten used to having you around."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Seth's Drunken Confessions**

"We should celebrate your win over Summer Rae," Seth suggested, once they were in the car, and winked. Kimber giggled, because to celebrate an insignificant victory was really just a code, what he was really suggesting was that they go have a drink.

"Sure you're feeling up to it?" She asked, and pointed to his stomach, which he'd put his hand over earlier.

Seth blushed, but recovered quickly. "Yeah, I feel a lot better now. I think I just drank too much water."

"Okay then. Couple pitchers and split a plate of wings at BW3?"

"Nah, you're dressed up too fancy for me to take you anyplace cheap." He pulled out his phone, and scrolled through it before settling his finger. "Perfect," he declared, and began to drive. "It's a small martini lounge, pretty much between here and the hotel. They have appetizers and craft beer, too."

"My purse is back in the safe at the hotel." Kimber realized.

"Don't worry, my treat."

The little lounge, nestled in between two tall office buildings, was just called Vera's. It didn't look like much from the outside, but when Seth opened the door for her, Kimber stepped into posh indoor twilight of white marble, black leather, tall mahogany, and accents of gold. It wasn't crowded on a Sunday night, and Kimber spotted an empty booth and led the way. "I'll get our drinks. Name your poison," Seth said.

"Well, seeing as this is a martini lounge, I guess I should have one of those." Kimber picked up a list of Vera's specialty martinis. "Oh, a _Memphis_ martini, I've got to have that."

He laughed. "I'll be back."

Seth took so long to come back she began to wonder if he'd ditched her. But he didn't, he came back with a martini in each hand, and set one down in front of Kimber. "Sorry that took forever. I didn't know which bathroom to use. Both doors just have some weird squiggly line on them, one slants one direction, the other slants another, either one could be an M or a W. So, I had to wait for someone to go in or out one of the bathrooms so I'd know which one to use."

"So which is which?" Kimber asked.

"The ladies' is on the left."

Kimber nodded, and sipped her drink. "This is good."

They talked about their time in the indies, what they considered their greatest moments, and their wrestling schools. They avoided the topics of their current employer, the not-so-proud moments of their careers, and how they got the money to open their wrestling schools. When Kimber switched to diet Sprite after her second martini, and Seth switched to craft beer after his, she took his keys and slipped them down into her bra and watched him get drunk.

And, he really, really did. He alternated between being childish and sad. He broke the seal, and stumbled a little worse every time he got up to use the restroom. And, as she'd anticipated, the alcohol loosened his tongue. After he walked into a table, Kimber decided she should get him back to the hotel while he was still mobile. She helped him to the car, and used his phone to get GPS directions to their hotel. He slumped in the passenger seat, and just after she'd gotten on the road, Seth volunteered the information that he needed to pee.

"Of course you do," Kimber teased. "Mister two martinis and five craft beers in less than four hours."

"I...well, I had to try all they had..." Seth drawled. "Can you pull over?"

"We're only about two miles from the hotel. And, I don't see anywhere you can go."

"I'm a guy, I can go anywhere I want!" He fidgeted and whined. "Please, Kimber!"

"Seth, I know it's hard right now, but be reasonable. If I pull off to the side of the road, and a cop happens to pull up behind us, we'll get a whole slew of tickets. You could even get arrested for public indecency. We could both lose our contracts. It would be the most expensive piss you ever took, so please hold it until we get back to the hotel. We're almost there."

"You're right, you're fucking right," Seth said quickly, and reached down his pants to get a better grip on his cock.

Kimber pulled into the parking lot. The instant she was in a space, her companion jumped out of the car, and started pissing. "Seth!" She scolded, and hurried over to screen him with her body. She pushed him closer behind the door, and looked about, paranoid that someone would notice.

"I'm sorry... I'm...sorry..."

"Just hurry up, please hurry up before someone catches you. We don't need this."

"I know. I'm a dirty little fucker."

Kimber blushed. It was the first time Seth had brought up her fan fiction. In it, Dean had affectionately referred to Seth as a dirty little fucker, and as his dirty little fucker. "Are you done?"

"Just like you said..." Seth swayed on his feet as he zipped up his fly. "Just like he said."

"Come on, let's get you inside." Kimber laced her arm through his and guided him towards the side entrance.

"What about...our bags?"

"Fuck, I'll get them. You find the key card." She went back to the car, stepped around Seth's puddle, and pulled their bags from the back seat. He was still at the door, shoving his hands in his pockets, when she returned. Without a word, she reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, where she'd seen him put the key card when they'd left for the arena, and pulled it out. Seth gave her a drunken, bashful smile and took their bags.

Up in the suite, after changing into pajamas, Kimber helped Seth get ready for bed, too. She took off his shoes and socks, and unbuttoned his black dress shirt. She handed him the black shorts they'd washed earlier, the same ones he'd flooded with cum beforehand, while dreaming of Dean, who'd called him a dirty little fucker, and stepped out to get him some water.

When she returned, he'd put on the shorts, and was lying on his side. He smiled, but it looked a little sad. "Thank you, Kimber." He propped himself up on an elbow, and drank deep from the bottle of water she offered.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Anything for my Kimber."

 _His_ Kimber? "Why did you lie about being sick when Renee asked us to dinner with her and Dean? I thought you and Dean were tight."

"We were..." Seth replied, never sounding sadder.

"What happened?"

"Everything... Then... I miss him every day. Every-fucking-day." He furiously swiped at his eyes, which had pooled with tears.

Kimber sat down on the bed beside him, and stroked his frizzy hair. "He misses you, too. Renee told me."

"If he misses me so much, then why did he ever leave me?"

 _Oh my, it's true! They were lovers!_ But Kimber's excitement at the realization was spoiled by how torn up Seth was by the end of their relationship. So, she stroked the drunk man's hair and rubbed the back of his neck and shoulders and gave him care and attention. "I take it there was more than friendship there?"

"A _lot_ more. I loved him. He said he loved me. What we had was...special, amazing, fucking perfect. He stayed with me when I had my surgery, just like you wrote."

"Really?"

"Yes! And we had a really kinky sex life, too, so you called that one, as well. You even inspired some of it. We actually enjoyed reading your stories about us. Congratulations."

"But why is it over now? Something so wonderful for both of you shouldn't have had to end." She hid her pride over the fact they had not only read her stories, but had lived out some parts of them.

"Renee. When she got pregnant, Dean decided that what we were doing wasn't fair to her, and ended things with me. He...broke my heart. I couldn't be his friend after that. I have a hard enough time working a match with him. And, Renee makes my stomach hurt, so I wasn't lying. I know she's sweet, Dean wouldn't be with anyone other than the sweetest, most perfect girl in the world, but because she has what I want, I fucking hate her, like Dean's fangirls do, only for me it's worse because I've actually had him, and lost him. And now I'm fucking lost without him." To Kimber's surprise, Seth began to cry.

She gave him a quick hug. "Hey now, who was it that said there's no crying in wrestling?"

"Shut up and keep hugging me. I'm so fucking lonely."

Kimber spooned him, and rubbed his back and shoulders with her good hand. One of his came up, and cradled her injured wrist and stroked her hand softly. Before long, he was passed out, and shortly afterwards, she fell asleep, too, to the rhythm of his breathing.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine – To St. Louis**

Kimber woke up to Seth's snoring. The right side of her face was pressed to his chest, near his armpit, and she'd drooled all over him. His right arm was holding her close, her right arm was pinned between them, and her left arm was draped across his abdomen, her hand resting just an inch away from his morning wood, which was creating an enormous tent beneath the sheet. She lifted her head and wiped the drool away, and that small shift in her movement was all it took to wake up Seth. She couldn't see the alarm clock, but she hoped it wouldn't be too early, and she hoped he wouldn't be mad about being woken.

But he wasn't mad, he was surprised to find Kimber in his arms. She gave him a silly smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep in your bed. Drooled on you, too."

"I-" he yawned, "-don't mind. Slept better than I have in months."

"That could have been all the alcohol," Kimber teased, and sat up in bed.

"No, it wasn't," Seth replied. "It was you. Hey, did you need the bathroom right away?"

"I can wait, unless you're going to take a shower."

"Not yet." He went off to the bathroom, and she went out to the sitting area to retrieve her toothbrush and all. She checked her phone, and saw that it was still very early, not even seven o'clock yet. They'd only slept a handful of hours, but Kimber felt as though she'd slept much longer, she felt very refreshed, energetic. She set her things down on Seth's bed, and began to stretch.

Seth came from the bathroom, and Kimber interrupted her half-ass yoga to brush her teeth. She left the door open so they could talk. "How are you feeling this morning?" She asked him, before sticking the brush in her mouth.

He leaned in the doorway. "Pretty awesome."

"I'mb supprised," she said, though a mouthful of toothpaste foam.

"Spit, Kimber. I'm not prone to hangovers, since I stay hydrated." Seth lowered his eyes. "I know I'm a pain in the ass when I'm drunk. I get all emo and irritating and I have to pee every ten minutes. I'm embarrassed to ask this, but I have to. What did we do last night?"

Kimber spat out the foam. "We just talked. You got upset, and I hugged you, and you didn't want me to stop, so I held you until we both fell asleep." She bent over the sink and rinsed her mouth. "I'm an honorable woman, Rollins. I wouldn't take advantage of a heartbroken man."

"I told you about Dean, didn't I?"

Kimber nodded.

"Fuck me," Seth mumbled, and leaned his forehead against the doorway.

"I'm not going to tell anyone. Girl scouts' honor."

 _"You_ were a Girl Scout?"

Kimber laughed. "No, I was in AWANA instead, Bible-based Girl Scouts."

Seth laughed. "You, the great atheist?"

"I wasn't an atheist when I was a kid. I just knew I got awards for reciting Bible verses. That's how we earned our merit badges, only they weren't badges, they were little charms we'd affix to gold pins."

"So, you're swearing on a Bible that you won't say anything about me and Dean?"

"What good would it do if I swore on a Bible?" Kimber asked, and raised an eyebrow. "I won't tell anyone anything that you tell me. I may be perverted, but I'm not a gossip."

"Same here," Seth replied, and gave a relieved chuckle.

"So I can trust you with the truth of what's happening to me in the locker room?"

He nodded. "Let's go sit down. I can tell you need to get it out."

She followed him to the kitchenette and sat down on a counter stool. "I do. I can't tell Raven, she flipped out hard enough when she saw a fan video of my debut. She's on par with Matt Hardy's wife when it comes to online bitchery, by the way."

Seth laughed. "Yeah, I saw that. Coffee?"

"Yes, please." Kimber looked down at the fake marble counter top. "If she found out about all of the other stuff they did to me, she'd fly right down here, and go ape shit on everyone. Because of her neck, I never want her to fight, and in this case, there would probably be some legal ramifications, too. And, I can't have her fight my battles for me. I won't earn anyone's respect that way."

"Quite true," Seth replied, and handed her a mug fresh from the Keurig, and started another for himself. "From what you've already told me, they've put you through a lot. I remember you mentioned there was more."

Kimber nodded. "Alexa's kind of the ringleader in all of it. After that awful match, she made Nia hold me down... Fuck, this is so humiliating. They forced me to go down on all of them, front and back. Even after I threw up, they still made me keep going until everyone had a turn with me. Carmella pissed in my face. I...I got into the shower with all my ring gear still on. That's another reason why I left it."

"Oh, Kimber..." Seth said in a soft, sympathetic whisper, and came around the counter to wrap his strong arms around her.

"There's more," Kimber said, quickly, as the tears came to her eyes, and her throat began to ache. "Last night, they treated me like a dog. They named me puppyslut. They put a collar and leash on me and made me crawl and kneel on the floor. They made me take off all my clothes, and spread myself so they could see how much I'd been fucking you. I told them that I didn't, but Alexa called me a liar, and stuck a finger in me, really hard. It hurt so bad, and I bled a little afterwards." She sniffled, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"They're sexually assaulting you? Fuck, Kimber, you have to report that." Seth stepped away, and returned with a roll of toilet paper.

Kimber used some of it to blow her nose. "I can't. It'll only make them do worse stuff to me. If I get a rep as a Tammy Tattle-tale, I'll never have their respect. Just being able to talk about it to someone helps a lot. They did notice the bruises from the night before, and freaked out, and Alexa and Alicia got into it because Alexa gave me Alicia's top to cover up the bruises, the one I was wearing with my ring attire last night, and sliced it up to give it that punk appeal. Then, Alexa made me sit in her lap and kiss her. Oh yeah, they don't let me use the toilet either, because dogs don't do that. I had to piss in a floor drain, in front of the whole Real Sorority. And Alexa patted my head and called me a good little puppyslut afterwards."

"I could never even imagine that level of hazing. I just don't know what to say."

Kimber pressed her finger to his lips. "You say nothing. Like I said before, just talking to you about it really helps. Now, let's move on with our day."

The drive to St. Louis was over four hours long, but now that she and Seth were getting on like old friends, and because she was dreading _RAW,_ it didn't seem that long to Kimber. Seth, bless his heart, knew how she felt and did his best to distract her. They played the alphabet game, sang along to silly songs on the radio, and stopped frequently to check out interesting scenery. He stopped at a huge outlet mall and convinced her to buy a new outfit to wear to the arena. She also bought a new black top for Alicia. He told her all about his house in Davenport, just in case she didn't get her ID back after _RAW_ or _Smackdown._ All in all, the four hour trip took them six and a half. But, too soon Kimber was at the vanity in their new hotel room, undoing the rollers from her hair with hands that shook. Seth had been unable to upgrade his room, so it was small, no sitting area, no kitchenette, no double-vanity in the bathroom (it was a single, and outside the bathroom, where he was currently changing clothes), and they'd be sharing a bed again, this time a queen-size.

Kimber felt sharply sick, dizzy, and lightheaded and stopped fixing her hair. Her heart was pounding, and she saw stars. She was going to faint. As her vision faded, she folded to the floor, and put her head down, between her knees. She closed her eyes, and breathed as deeply as possible, and the faint feeling subsided. The panic did not. More than anything, she did not want to go to the arena. She did not want to be degraded and humiliated all night long in exchange for what would probably be another silly credit card.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "No. I don't want to go."

He sat down beside her, and pulled her close. She clung to him as though he'd just rescued her from a shipwreck. "I know." He stroked her curls. "But you have to."

Kimber nodded. "I know. I'm totally dreading it. I don't think I'm even scheduled for a match, not even a dark match, so I'll have to be in that fucking locker room the whole time...the whole fucking time, down on my hands and knees naked, collared and leashed and being made to do unimaginable things. I...I don't know if I can do it."

"I'll talk to Hunter and see if he can put you in a match, or find something else for you to do that'll keep you out of there at least part of the time."

"You can't tell him what's going on in there."

"No, but I wish you would. I know you won't, though."

Kimber shook her head. "No matter what the so-called Real Sorority puts me through, I have to take it. I have to get my life back. Renee's offered to kind of protect me in the locker room, knowing they won't do anything to her, but they won't give me my ID back with her around, either."

Seth winced at hearing the name of his former lover's wife, and Kimber felt bad for mentioning her. But, he recovered quickly. "I'll talk to Hunter right away when we get there. I've got _some_ influence, not a lot, I mean just look at how I've been booked since I came back."

Kimber couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, that's true. You went from champion to...kingslayer."

"Yeah, ooooh, kingslayer," Seth replied, sarcastically. He stood up and held out his hand. Kimber allowed him to help her off the floor.

At the arena, Seth gave her another hug before the locker rooms and whispered in her ear. _Remember, in every single way you can be, you're better than them._ Once the door closed behind her, she dropped to her knees immediately.

"What a good girl!" Alexa praised. "The bitch finally knows her place. Now, what does puppyslut do next?"

Kimber took off her dress clothes and draped them over a handy folding chair. "That's my good little slut. Your bruises are looking better today," the bitch complimented.

"I heal quickly, Ma'am," Kimber replied.

"That's good. Now let's get your collar on."

Kimber obediently lifted her curls to allow the blonde to put her collar and lead on. "Good girl." Alexa sat down in another folding chair, and spread her legs. "Come here. I know how much dogs love peanut butter, so I got you a little treat. But, first you have to do a trick." She laughed. "I saw some video where you said your go-to midnight snack was a banana with peanut butter. Is that true, puppyslut?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Kimber remembered that short shoot interview just before her last appearance in the indies very well. Fans had sent in questions, asking about her toughest opponent (Tia Tortiello), what she felt was the greatest moment of her career (the first time RCCW was televised), as well as the most embarrassing (pissing her pants before diving off the top of a steel cage). She'd not done it out of fear, but because she'd had to go since the match started, and had to take some of the pressure off, or she would explode all over her and Raven's opponents upon impact. Fortunately the event wasn't televised, and her cargo pants were not capris, they were black that night, so no one found out about it besides Raven, and only because Kimber told her, after saving her with the dive, and squeezing her hand. Raven had almost started laughing as she lay on the mat beside her lover and tag team partner, when she was supposed to be pretending to be laid out from the beating. She and Raven had been doing Raven's favorite gimmick that night, channeling the Shield in female form, with Raven as the Big Dog, and herself as the Architect. Kimber had loved the pants and top, hated the boots, silly blonde hairpiece, and chunky, uncomfortable, tactical vest, and tight black leather gloves that made up her Seth costume. And, she hated having to take on another person's character. Though she had imitated Lita when she was first starting out, Brtiney Melrose had established herself as her own entity. Britney...oh, the good old days.

"Wake up, bitch!" Alexa yanked a handful of Kimber's hair and yanked her by the lead, over between her legs. She'd painted her entire crotch with peanut butter. "Get over here and clean me up, you sack of shit, you worthless bag, you stupid fucking slut. You don't deserve a treat, but here I'm giving you one, anyway. Am I not the nicest Mistress in the whole world?"

"Ha!" Kimber snorted, before she could stop herself. "If you were nice-" She realized what she was doing, being disrespectful, and just as she did, Alexa slapped her hard on one cheek, then the other.

"That mouth of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble, puppyslut, so put it to work." She grabbed the locker room pet by her hair again, and jammed her face into the peanut butter. Peanut butter went up one of her nostrils, and Alexa kept her head pinned until she started to lick at it, just like the dog she was.

Kimber escaped into happier times. Always, when she and Raven played the Shield, Raven insisted they stay in the costumes, even the heavy, bulky vests, afterwards, until they'd returned to whatever hotel they were staying in. Even the night she'd squatted on the top of the cage and pissed her pants a little, Raven insisted she stay in character until they could make love. With Raven, it was never having sex, doing it, fucking, or any other euphemism, vulgar or not, it was always making love, because she did not have intercourse with those she did not love. And although she always loved her Britney honey, the passion was cranked up to the max whenever they were wearing their tactical gear.

Presently, Alexa grabbed double fistfuls of Kimber's hair, and began grinding on her face. She'd cleaned up all the peanut butter, all she could taste now was her enemy's juices Kimber tried to pull away, and Alexa pulled her hair tighter, making Kimber whimper pitifully into throat. "No, bitch, you're not fucking done yet. You're going to help me release some tension before I go out there tonight. You do it for Rollins-"

"No I don't-"

"Shut up!" Alexa sat up and slapped Kimber again. "Did I fucking give you permission to speak, puppyslut? You've got to be doing something for him. But, that's not important now. Right now, you have to make me cum. And, I like to squirt, so use your fucking hands, too."

Kimber realized that if she gave Alexa a mind-blowing orgasm, maybe she'd give her back more than just a credit card tonight, and set to work as though she gave a fuck. She had Alexa rocking against her tongue and riding the two to three fingers Kimber put in her in no time at all. Alexa was moaning, and crying out like the girl in the intro to "More Human than Human", then yelled: "Alicia, get your pathetic ass over here, now! Nia! Grab that bitch!"

Kimber could her Alicia's murmurs of protest, and flicked her eyes up to see Nia holding her before Alexa. Alicia was wearing a plaid skirt, and Alexa's hand was up it. A soft, indecent moan escaped from Alicia's pretty lips, and it quickly turned into a sharp cry of pain. "Yes, get over here, you stupid cunt," Alexa ordered. Her hands ripped off Alicia's blouse, buttons went flying. She gripped her exposed breasts hard, and pinched her nipples. Alicia shrieked, and began to cry, and Alexa bucked beneath Kimber's hand and mouth. "Kiss me, bitch," she panted to Alicia, and Nia pushed the smaller woman down.

In an instant, Alexa was grunting like a constipated farmhand in an outhouse, and Kimber's face was splattered with her cum. She was reminded of the spitting dinosaur scene in the original _Jurassic Park._ Her captor released her in the afterglow, as she lay recovering, and Kimber slipped away on her lead to the sinks. Alexa's goo was all in her hair, too. She washed it out, along with most of her curls, and was left with black spaghetti again.

While she was fixing her makeup, Renee came in. "It smells like peanut butter in here, Alicia's sobbing in Naomi's arms, and you're naked except for a pink collar and leash. I don't even want to know what the hell went on in here, do I?"

"No, you probably don't," Kimber agreed. She undid her collar and let it drop to the floor.

"I came in to tell you we've got a segment together, a backstage interview. And, I can't very well interview you in the nude," she giggled, then sobered. "Whoa, those bruises from Saturday really set in, didn't they?"

"It was quite a beat down." Kimber got her "Power Ranger" ring attire from her bag. Gross wearing it two days in a row, but she was not the only one who'd be doing that. Her third outfit would expose the bruises on her legs, so it wasn't an option. She pulled everything on, even the stolen top her Mistress had cut fashionably for her, and turned to face Renee. "How do I look?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – Triumph**

Seth was a man of his word, he had indeed spoken to Hunter about finding Kimber something to do. After her completely scripted interview with Renee, she was put into a mixed tag match, and her partner was Matt Hardy! That was a dream come true. She had always had so much admiration and respect for him, he was one of her idols. They faced Luke Gallows and Dana Brooke (who was surprisingly civil towards her). After nailing Dana with her frog splash while the men brawled outside the ring, Kimber pinned her opponent and scored her first televised win in WWE. She looked towards the entrance, and saw Hunter and Seth, deep in conversation, but Seth saw her, and gave her a smile and a discrete thumbs up. Then, Matt was in the ring, with Jeff, and they lifted her and held her atop their shoulders. The crowd was going nuts, and the intensity of the myriad emotions that ran through her was so great she was dizzy, and her body felt like jelly. She had not been so happy in a ring in a very long time. Not even her dreams could have lived up to the greatness that was her first televised match with WWE. When they cut for commercials, Kimber let her happy tears roll down her fine cheekbones, and her vision returned. Seth and Hunter were applauding for her, too.

She hopped down from the Hardy Boyz shoulders, and hugged them both. "Thank you," she whispered to Matt.

"Thank you, glad I got a chance to work with you," he replied, and they squeezed each other's hands before Kimber ran back up the ramp, making slight contact with fans along the way.

She went right to Seth, who was standing alone now, red in the face and blinking rapidly, and threw herself at him with a victory scream. He caught her, and they laughed triumphantly together as she clung to him like a monkey to a tree trunk. "Best TV debut ever!" She declared. "And I owe it all to you!"

He spun with her, then set her down and wiped his face on his shirt. "Shucks. I only got Hunter to change the match from a singles to a mixed tag. You hit a grand slam out there tonight, Kimber. I really don't have any words for it. Made me cry when you did, because I was so happy for you. Hunter was very impressed, and called you a future champion. To be able to overcome everything you're going through right now, and put on a match like that... That's nothing short of amazing."

"Um, you didn't tell Hunter about... Well, you know..."

"No. I told him that you were still having problems with some of the others, nothing more than that," Seth assured her. "I gotta go, I've got a segment coming up. I'll be back." He gave her a quick hug and went off.

Kimber lingered, hoping someone else friendly would come along, so she'd have an excuse to stay away from her personal hell, the women's locker room. But, rather than a friendly face, along came Emma, who scowled at her. "You make me sick, puppyslut, hanging all over Seth, like he'd want anything to do with you-"

Because they were not in the locker room, Kimber would not play puppyslut. Fuck the consequences, she would not be made a fool in front of anyone who may be eavesdropping. "Shut the fuck up with your blue waffle-eating ass."

Emma was speechless for a moment, blue-painted lips parted in shock. "What the fuck kind of insult is that?"

"You ain't seen the blue waffle? Google it. That's what it looks like you've been eating, with that gaudy fucking lipstick you got on. You look like a fucking clown, a fucking joke, and you are a fucking joke. Your ring work is decent, I'll give you that. But you can't act, and you have about as much charisma as a pet rock. You totally blew your push, so now all you do is whine online about how you're not given any opportunities, and hate on me because you ain't me."

"Bitch, you'd better remember your place right now," Emma threatened.

"Bitch, we ain't in the locker room," Kimber looked around to make sure no one was around before continuing. "So, I ain't got to call you Ma'am; eat your filthy, stinking ass; pretend you're better than me; none of that bullshit."

"Puppyslut, I will _drag_ your ass into that locker room-"

"Ugly bitch, I'd like to see you _try."_

"I had you crying like the little bitch you are on Saturday. How _is_ that wrist?" Emma reached out, and Kimber deflected her arm with a middle block.

She nearly followed it up with a kick and an elbow (part of an old Tae Kwon Do drill), but stopped herself. She remembered what Seth had told her, before the show, and just a little while ago. She _was_ the better woman. She was a future champion in Hunter's eyes. She glared at Emma instead, psychological warfare, so to speak, and Emma glared back at her just as intensely, each one waiting for the eyes of the other to telegraph their next move.

The spell was interrupted by Renee and Dean, coming around the corner, laughing. Kimber blushed, knowing Dean had enjoyed her fan fiction, but Emma wasn't looking at her anymore.

"Renee isn't always going to be here to look out for you," Emma hissed, and walked away.

Renee and Dean came over. "Oh my gosh, Kimber! You were amazing out there!" Renee gushed, and hugged her tight. Dean nodded to echo his wife's sentiments, and shook Kimber's hand. She wasn't sure, but he seemed to be a little flushed, too. Then, he gave Renee a kiss and excused himself, his match was next.

"Did you get a chance to talk to Seth yet?" Renee asked, hopefully.

"No," Kimber lied. "He had too much to drink last night. I had to put him to bed." She laughed, then sobered. "Today, I... I kind of had a mini-breakdown."

"Oh no, Kimber..."

"More than anything I didn't want to come here. I wasn't booked in a match, I would have been stuck in that awful locker room all night, doing unmentionable things. I know I kind of blew things off when you came in earlier, but it's been really bad, Renee."

The pretty blonde nodded. "I know."

"But, being in the ring tonight made everything worth it," Kimber added. "I'm still walking on sunshine from that. Working with Matt was a fantasy come reality, and just between us girls, I've always had a crush the size of Jupiter on both Hardys."

Renee laughed. "Me too."

Due to her confrontation with Emma, and failure to return to the locker room after her match like a good puppyslut, Kimber didn't get any of her cards back after _RAW._

"Nothing," she told Seth after the show, while they sat indian-style on the bed in their hotel room, feeding from takeout containers. "But, it doesn't matter. Not tonight. Nothing could ruin tonight for me. It may have started off shitty as fuck, but you took coal and made it into a diamond, one of the gems of my career. It meant so much to me to get to work with Matt, and even if I get concussed three more times before my career is through, I'll never forget that match."

"Welcome to the big time." Seth smiled, and offered her one of his potstickers. "And, WWE wouldn't let you get concussed three times."

Kimber accepted, tore it in half, and set the halves into the sauce. "Thanks. And, that is true, with my history. Concussions are the only injuries I've ever really dealt with, but I've had three, likely four, actually. Ever seen that picture of me from the night I won my first title, and I've got blood all over my chin, and running down my neck?"

"I haven't, but..." Seth picked up his phone, typed, and showed it to her. "This one?"

Kimber looked at herself aged twenty-three, with pink, purple, and orange hair, dressed in a blood-spotted white bra top and olive khaki cargo capris, clutching the inaugural RCCW women's championship, which Kimber had insisted must look like a regular title, not hot pink or in the shape of a butterfly or heart. The strap was black, the plates were silver. "The very. My first title, and my first concussion. It was a triple threat no disqualification match between me, Raven, and Casey; Casey doesn't wrestle anymore, she got married and had kids. Anyway, Casey hit me with a chair shot before I was ready. All the blood came from when I bit down on my tongue; my chin somehow hit my own knee when I was going down. I was unconscious for a little bit."

"Lots of stuff online about you," Seth told her, as he scrolled through his phone.

"Good stuff I hope. I would like to watch the video of my match tonight. I'm sure WWE posted it."

Seth grabbed his laptop off the nightstand and put it on the bed where they could both see it, and found the match on youtube. The debutante had indeed shone like the star she was. She looked in the related videos section, and read the other titles: _Kimber (Britney Melrose) vs. Summer Rae house show, Matt Hardy+Kimber vs Luke Gallows+Dana Brooke, 10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Kimber, Kimber RAW Debut!, 7 Things WWE Wants You to Forget About Kimber, Dave Meltzer Shoots on the Sabotage of Kimber, Backstage Heat on Kimber Already?, Britney Melrose (Kimber) Match 4_ (the thumbnail told her that one was a _New Sorority_ match), and amusingly, _10 Reasons Why Seth Rollins is Dating Kimber._

Seth clicked on _10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Kimber._ Generic music, current and older pictures of Kimber, and a countdown of random information, like that she owned a wrestling school, knew martial arts, enjoyed playing badminton, loved to read, had at times used a Shield gimmick in tag matches, etc. She was surprised Hardcore Wrestling Vixens wasn't mentioned.

"Click on the seven things one," she told Seth. "I want to know what the world isn't supposed to know about me."

Seth laughed. "Sure about that?" But, he clicked the video anyway. More generic music, pictures, and a countdown. _7\. She flunked out of college. Kimber only made it three semesters into getting her criminal justice degree from the University of Illinois Springfield before flunking out. 6. She used the crossface as her finisher. WWE doesn't like to mention Chris Benoit, so they probably wouldn't want you to know that their latest superstar used one of Benoit's signature moves. 5. RCCW. If you don't know what Rampage City Combat Wrestling is, it's an indie promotion based in Milwaukee, WI that Kimber helped to develop, and she was their first women's champion. The style is very hardcore, and not at all PG, like the WWE of today. 4. Her affair with Skylar Storm. Kimber met Skylar while both were working in PWG, and they soon started a relationship. Not normally a problem, but Skylar was married at the time to his wife of five years, and after finding out about Kimber, she filed for divorce. 3. She wet her pants during a match. Kimber once said in a shoot interview that the most embarrassing moment she'd had in her career was peeing in her pants during a match, before diving off the top of a steel cage. 2. Britney Melrose. WWE would rather you not follow other promotions, so they will not say anything about their wrestlers' careers before WWE. 1. She was arrested for possession of THC. When she was still in college, Kimber was arrested when cops were called to an off-campus party, and she was found with almost an ounce of marijuana. She was fined and sentenced to community service._

"It's all true," Kimber agreed.

"Want to find out why we're dating? I have to admit, these are kind of fun. I watch some of mine from time to time. I find it weird that Cyberfights is never brought up, though."

"I know what you mean. I was expecting my time in Hardcore Wrestling Vixens to be number one in the things WWE doesn't want you to know about me." Kimber laughed, and tuned in to see why she and Seth were dating. The video was made very recently, because it had pictures of them together, not only at the crossfit gym, but arriving at last night's show, leaving the hotel this afternoon, and of course, their celebratory hug following her debut.

They were both from the Midwest. They both do crossfit. They both own wrestling schools. They both like to read. They've been seen together a _lot._ They're both dog people, and both of them own pugs. He likes to play video games, and she likes to watch people play them. She has the "look" that he seems to favor in his past partners, and he has the same appeal when it comes to her, if her former relationships with Skylar Storm and Trey Awesome were any indication of what kind of guy she was into. They both wrestled for years in the indies, quite successfully. And, of course, reason number one was the celebratory hug. Kimber wondered who'd taken the best of the shots, as they seemed to be rather close, allowing for the details to come through, the sheer emotion of the situation. Her tears, his tears, their smiles, their triumph. She could see how it could easily be misconstrued as romance, however. Her arms entwined around his neck, his hands on her ass, black hair hanging all over each other.

"Fuck, isn't anything private anymore?" Kimber asked.

"You're kidding me, right?" Seth asked.

"It was a rhetorical question." She offered him the bag of crab rangoon.

That night, Kimber and Seth went to bed early. There was a six-hour drive ahead of them tomorrow, to get to Des Moines. Kimber folded her hands behind her head, and stared at the ceiling. She was tired, she wanted to sleep, but beside her, Seth was restless. He tossed and turned and re-positioned his pillow several times. He got up twice for water, and the second time he returned, Kimber sat up in bed.

"Give me that. Any more and you'll wet the bed." Kimber took the bottle, and took a long drink and handed it back.

"I'm not going to wet the bed," Seth grumbled, and got back under the covers.

Kimber turned over on to her side to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"It's always hardest at night, when I'm trying to fall asleep. That's when I miss him the most."

 _Dean._ "Did you want to cuddle again?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "I hope it's not...awkward for you."

"No, not at all."

"It's so much easier for me to fall asleep when someone's holding me. And, I sleep better."

Kimber wrapped herself around him, and instantly, she felt her sleeping partner relax. "Touch is a powerful force. It helps me, too."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11- Des Moines**

Seth did not rent a room in Des Moines, since it was only two and a half hours away from Davenport, he planned to leave right after _Smackdown,_ and sleep in his own bed. If Kimber got her ID back at the show, he would drop her at a hotel near the airport, so she could fly home tomorrow. But, she found herself more looking forward to going with Seth than going back home. As always, she missed Raven, but with Tansy around, their dynamic was different. Raven and Tansy had a Master/slave dynamic, and if Raven wasn't around, she was expected to fill the role of "backup Raven" and tell Tansy what to do. Kimber felt that it wasn't her place, and would have preferred Raven didn't have Tansy around when she was home. Though Kimber had had other partners over the years, mostly fellow wrestlers from whatever promotion she was in at the time, she'd never brought them home when Raven was around. They had different definitions of what it meant to be polyamorous. That, and Raven's spirituality and Kimber's lack thereof, were their only big differences.

Spending the rest of the week with Seth seemed like a more comfortable option. "Comfortable" was the adjective that came to her mind first when it came to him. She was enjoying traveling with him, and he seemed to be enjoying her company as well. Today, she had done a good deal of the driving, and when they lost the radio, he read to her from a very worn Harry Potter paperback after finding out she'd never read one, or seen any of the movies.

They used Cesaro's hotel room to shower and get ready to go to the arena. She was slightly less nervous than she had been yesterday afternoon, and she had the welcome distraction of Cesaro, and the music of his happy conversation with Seth was soothing as she put on her makeup. Cesaro flirted with her and said she was beautiful, which made her very happy. Maybe she would be happy in WWE after all. Last night had given her a glimpse of glory, it seemed the whole roster didn't hate her after all, just a select few. She was hopeful.

But of course the hope faded the moment she stepped through the locker room door. No sooner had she dropped to her knees, Emma came running, and kicked her in the arm. Kimber was on her feet in an instant, but Nia seized her by the hair, and squeezed her injured wrist. Kimber yelped in pain, though Nia had not squeezed it hard, just a warning, it still hurt like hell.

"That's it, puppyslut, bark!" Emma snapped. "Bark for me, you little skank."

Kimber stayed mute, and glared at her.

"Speak girl, come on girl, speak," Emma taunted. "Whatsa matter? Huh? Did the most famous dick in sports entertainment hurt your wittle throat?"

"You mean the dick you're dying to have inside you, but never will?" Kimber retorted, with a conceited laugh.

"Bitch, please. I always get what I want."

Kimber laughed again. "No you don't. I thought we talked about this last night, Miss Emma-"

"Mistress Emma," Emma corrected.

"Mistress Emma. All you do is complain about what you ain't got, but you don't make a single effort to go get anything. I'd bet my wrestling school you've never told my friend that you want to fuck his balls dry."

"Puppyslut, you're getting a little too big for your boots. Just because you're fucking one of the top men in the company doesn't make you a big deal. Having a wrestling school doesn't make you a big deal. Your school probably fucking sucks, by the way. You might have been hot shit on the indie circuit, but here you ain't shit, and it's time to remind you of that."

Alexa, Alicia, Naomi, Carmella, and Dana Brooke came in as if on cue, and Nia slammed her captive to the ground, and the beat down began. Kimber put up her best defense, and managed to protect her wrist. The blows only really hurt when they hit or stomped an already-sore area, and again they spared her face.

"That's enough," Alexa decided, and the Real Sorority backed off.

Kimber glared up at them in defiance, a haughty half-sneer curling one lip. Then, she got up, on her feet, not on her knees as the Real Sorority would have liked. She brushed off her pants, and straightened her sweater. She walked right up to Alexa. "Yes, that's enough. Give me my shit back."

Alexa laughed. "You'll get it back when we decide you can have it. And, since you've had such an attitude, been so disrespectful and disobedient as of late, you won't be getting your stuff back anytime soon. You'd better hope Rollins doesn't get sick of you. Oh, that reminds me... Strip, puppyslut, time to inspect you."

Kimber didn't move. Alexa nodded, and suddenly, a hand clamped down hard on her injured wrist and twisted it, and Kimber _howled._ The pain was excruciating, but she turned around and punched Carmella right in the face, and her wrist was freed, and she collapsed to her knees, and cradled it. She took deep breaths and tried to rise above the pain. Then, she heard, over the general laughter and taunting, a knock on the door.

"Rollins is looking for puppyslut," Alicia announced. "Only he called her Kimber."  
"Of course he did, he moans her stupid name every night and several times daily," Alexa replied, and rolled her eyes. "Go to your lover boy, puppyslut."

She rose. "Gladly, pixie bitch." She took her bag with her. She wasn't scheduled in anything tonight, she was already told she wouldn't be getting her cards back, so there was no point in returning to the locker room for more torture. If she was put in the show at the last minute, she'd just get ready in a ladies' room.

Seth was waiting for her in the hall. "Hey, are you okay?"

"No," Kimber admitted. "I need to see the trainers."

"Your wrist?"

She nodded. "Carmella twisted it. I punched her right in the fucking face."

"Come on, we'll go right now. And, I've got good news. We can sneak out early tonight, after my match. I already got the okay, they owe me one for all the post-show stuff I've done this year."

"The Sorority, I mean the _Real_ Sorority already told me I wouldn't be getting my shit back tonight, or at any point in the near future, so I hope your invitation to come with you to Davenport still stands."

Seth smiled, and to Kimber's surprise, he looked almost relieved. "Of course it does. I was actually hoping you would. I can't wait to show you my wrestling school."

Kimber smiled, too, despite the pain she was in. "I can't wait to see it."

Kimber half-lied to the trainers. She told the truth about the original injury to her left wrist, but lied about Carmella twisting it. She said she'd tripped due to her new high-heeled boots, and landed on it. Because of the swelling, they couldn't tell if anything was seriously wrong, so they wanted her to have some x-rays done as soon as possible at a local ER. One of the trainers put a hard brace on it, and gave her an ice pack. She went to watch Seth's match against Samoa Joe, which he won via disqualification when Kevin Owens came out from the crowd and attacked him. After he changed back into his dress clothes, he took Kimber to the ER.

She offered to just call him when she was through, so he could go hang out with the guys who were staying in Des Moines overnight, but he insisted on staying with her, because "friends don't let friends wait in the ER alone". They didn't have to wait long, Kimber was the only patient when they walked in, and she was triaged and taken back to a room immediately. For the first time, she began to worry she could have something that would require surgery, and a lengthy recovery, including strenuous rehab. She wondered if her employer would give her a special on the network, like they did for Seth.

Seth came in while she was waiting for the results of her x-rays and worrying, and brought the Harry Potter book along. He picked up reading aloud where he had left off earlier that day, in the car. Kimber was grateful for the distraction, even though one thing she was pretty sure she did _not_ have in common with him was a love for Harry Potter. She had never been into the wizard/fantasy genre, and Harry Potter didn't seem likely to change that. But, just knowing that someone cared about her, and didn't want her to be stressed, touched her deeply, and his voice and the story it told soothed her, like another patient might be likely comforted by a visiting pastor and his prayers.

Her doctor came back, and pronounced her free from broken bones. It was likely just a bad sprain, and she should keep the brace on and ice it as much as possible, and follow up with her doctor if she saw no improvement by Monday. The diagnosis gave her some relief. Her career was not over. She wouldn't- Anger was setting in. She should have never been injured in the first place. And she vowed to herself, while sitting in the car, staring down at her brace while Seth drove (he was talking, too, but she was too self-focused to listen), that she would make Alexa and the rest of the Real Sorority pay for it.

Seth nudged her. "Hey, doing okay over there?"

Kimber snapped out of her revenge plans. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was following a train of thought. What were you saying?" She pushed her glasses back up her nose and turned to him.

"And who was on that train?" He asked.

"Fucking Alexa, Emma, and the rest of those ass clowns. The _Real_ Sorority." Kimber shifted her glance down, to the ugly black Velcro brace that immobilized her left wrist.

"Let's not ruin our short time off by dwelling on them," Seth suggested. "We're just two hours from home sweet home."

 _"Your_ home sweet home. I'm a California girl, remember?" Kimber teased.

"No, you're a California transplant. You're a FIB," Seth replied, and chuckled.

"A fortunate Illinois beauty?"

He smiled sheepishly, and blushed a little. "Well, I won't argue with that. And, my house is your house. You know, Davenport is less than three hours from Springfield. Tomorrow, after we visit the school, we can drive over to your old stomping grounds if you want."

"Thanks, but I don't really have a reason to go. My folks fell in love with California when they came to one of my PWG shows, and after they retired, they moved out there. My sister lives in New Mexico, she works for the Forest Service. I lost contact with old friends and classmates years ago."

"Even in this glorious age of technology?"

"I'm barely online. I only have a twitter and instagram because WWE said I had to have them, and I've yet to use either, though I did set up the profiles. I've been on facebook once, the day I joined it. I think I'm social-media'd out, after having to do so much of it when building RCCW. Raven handles all the online stuff for our school, and, well, anything having to do with me online."

"You didn't, um, give her your passwords, did you?" Seth asked. He looked embarrassed, and Kimber remembered how his nudes had been leaked by a vengeful fiance.

"No, but even if I did, she'd never...do something like that. And, it's not like it really matters if my personal nudes go public, because there's already so many of them out there. I'll bet when you searched my name, at least half of the pics that came up were nudes or erotic in one way or another."

"I don't remember the ratio, but there was a good amount there."

Kimber laughed. "So you know how I look naked, and I know how you look naked. We can just totally drop all of our modesty!" She couldn't stop laughing, the idea struck her as totally hilarious. She and Seth, living in the nude for the next three days; naked video games, naked crossfit, naked cooking and cleaning.

Seth gave her a playful shove. "Wise ass."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – Sweet Home Davenport**

Just after midnight, Seth pulled into the garage, beside a sharp black coupe. To say he had a nice place was an understatement. It was a sprawling ranch, set far back in the woods, brick with lots of windows was all Kimber could make out in the headlights as they'd driven up. She got out and stretched a little. Seth hadn't stopped at all on the way, (even though he'd clearly needed to, he'd squirmed in his seat the last half-hour of the journey), so the pain she was in from the earlier beatdown was compounded by sitting more or less immobile for the last two and a half hours, and she was so hungry she felt nauseated. Or, that could have been from the pain. At this point, who knew?

Seth was bouncing up and down and shifting his weight from foot to foot as he fumbled with the door lock. "Don't worry about our bags, I'll come back for them."

She followed him inside, admiring the dark woodwork and nice decorating, and almost walked into him when he stopped before a door.

"There's another bathroom off the kitchen if you need it. And, help yourself to anything you want to eat or drink. I'll be back." He stepped into the restroom, and Kimber continued on to the kitchen. It was late, but she needed a little something in her stomach. She opened up a cabinet, and found a variety of canned soups, and chose chicken enchilada. She opened more cabinets to find a bowl and spoon, and managed to figure out how to work the microwave. The aroma of soup overtook the kitchen, and it really did smell like home sweet home. And, the chair she sat in felt just right. Goldilocks, in the bears' house, only Seth didn't really fit into the bear category, aside from being hairy. She giggled again, and happily spooned soup.

Seth came in with the bags. "That smells delicious."

"Chicken enchilada soup. Want some?" Kimber asked. "I'll share, I'm not like that. And, I don't even have cooties." She patted the seat beside her, and Seth plopped himself down in it.

"I hope not, since we've been sharing a bed lately." He took the spoon she offered and began to eat.

"I'm going to call the wife, I'll be right back." Kimber excused herself into the same restroom Seth had ducked into earlier, lowered the seat and lid on the toilet, and sat down with her phone.

"Hello my love!" Raven answered, cheerfully. "So, did you lay the crossfit Jesus yet?" She asked, hopefully.

Kimber laughed. "No. But we made it to his place. It's really nice, comfy."

"Romantic?"

"Raven!"

"It's been so long since you've had another partner, love. And he's perfect for you; you guys have so much in common, and you've already slept together in the literal sense. I could see the chemistry you two have in that picture of him holding you. Why dost thou fight it?"

"Because that's what I do for a living, fight," Kimber quipped, and Raven burst into a round of silly giggles. "Besides, he's heartbroken."

Raven snorted. "By who? That girl who got fired? She ain't got shit on _my_ girl. The whole damn world sees that you and Seth would be the cutest couple ever."

"Well, _I_ don't see it. And, at any rate, I don't want to be the rebound relationship. I want to get him ...together with Dean." She had nearly spilled Seth's biggest secret by inserting "back" between "him" and "together" _._

"Oh, Brit-honey give it up. It's not going to happen. I think he's just gay for pay. He wants you to mend that broken heart of his. After all, why else would he cart you from show to show and take you home? I'm so wanting it to happen I even put you guys' picture up on our site."

Kimber was becoming annoyed. She didn't like it when Raven pushed her about having other partners, and she was pushing damn hard for her to get with Seth. "Let me guess, it was the one where we're all over each other. What did you caption that, dare I ask? Real fucking professional there, Rave."

"Britney-slash-Kimber and Seth Rollins celebrate her _RAW_ debut." Raven said, simply.

"The only reason why you want me to be with him is because _you_ want to be with him. All of that Shield cosplay, making me dress like him, fuck, you even called me by his name. If you want to be with him so fucking bad, why don't you come down here?"

"Britney, sweetie-"

"Don't sweetie me right now. Leave me alone about him. He's the only fucking reason I'm still with WWE. I might be doing this for you, but stop living vicariously through me like...like a pageant mom."

"Baby, I'm sorry-"

"I don't fucking care if you're sorry or not," Kimber spat. "You have no fucking idea what I've been through since I've been on the road, all you can talk about is me fucking Seth. You're no better than the bitches that make my life a living hell in the locker room every night. Yes, every fucking night I go through hell and back just so you can brag that your wife is a WWE superstar, and post pictures of me with the guy you want me to fuck."

"Britney, why didn't you tell me?"

She ignored the question. "I have to go, my phone is dying," she lied. "Even though I'm madder than hell at you right now, I still love you. Goodnight."

"Honey, can we talk about this? Everything you're going through?"

"Someday. Goodnight, Raven."

"Goodnight, Brit. I love you. Always and forever, even when you're mad."

Kimber hung up and let out a frustrated growl before leaving the restroom and rejoining Seth in the kitchen. He'd eaten the rest of the soup, and was drinking a glass of milk. He'd poured another for her. "Thanks," she said, and pounded it before clunking it back down on the table, making Seth jump a little in surprise.

"Sorry," Kimber apologized, and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. "Had a little spat with Raven. Love her til the end, but she can be so frustrating sometimes. And, I can be stubborn." She looked at Seth, and tried to imagine him as her mate, and finally saw what the rest of the world did. It was a perfect match. They worked together, traveled together, had a ton of things in common, were both young and attractive, and enjoyed each others' company. They would make not only a cute couple, but a beautiful, breathtaking one. But, they would not make a more beautiful couple than Dean and Seth, at least not in Kimber's mind. If Seth was still heartbroken, then the love for Dean was still very much there, and what Kimber hoped for was that Dean's proverbial light in the darkness still burned for Seth, too. She could not be with Seth, not unless he could be with Dean.

"Being stubborn isn't always a bad thing," Seth said. "I'd say it's a good quality for you to have, because you're not a quitter."

"Never give up. Just like Cena." She took their empty glasses and the shared bowl and spoon over to the sink and washed them, and Seth came over to dry, and put away. A warm, special feeling washed over her then, and she turned fifty shades of red. Though they'd been together in more intimate situations, (hell, she'd woken up next to him when he'd had raging hard-on), that was the first time she felt an attraction towards him that went beyond friendship. But, she didn't know if it was a true attraction, as what came to her mind was Dean and Seth doing dishes together, without her involvement or even her presence.

He gave her the guest room, because she might like a little privacy for the first time in days. It had its own bathroom, with a sunken jacuzzi tub, which Kimber got into the moment she was alone. It was divine. She soaked and mindlessly paged through a handy stack of _National Geographic_ magazines until the water began to cool, and her skin was wrinkled. Then, she got out, dried off, and rubbed on orange ginger lotion before completing the rest of her nightly rituals and getting under the covers in a soft, queen-size bed. There weren't enough covers; she was too cold and couldn't sleep. She looked in the closet and under the bed for an extra blanket. Nothing, she'd have to go ask Seth. Hopefully, he wasn't sleeping yet.

She went down the hall and knocked on his door frame. He told her to come in, and he didn't sound like she'd woken him. He was laying in bed, though.

"I need another blanket. I'm cold."

"I need you. Will you hold me?" He asked, sheepishly. "I feel like an ass asking, since you could actually sleep alone tonight, and probably want to."

"To be honest, I like sleeping with you," Kimber chuckled at the double-entendre as she climbed under the covers Seth held up for her.

"Oh, you dirty girl," he teased.

"Don't act so surprised. You of all people know I have one dirty mind." She almost added _you dirty little fucker,_ but thought better of it.

"The dirtiest mind in the business," Seth said, and patted her on the head.

"Yours ain't so squeaky-clean, either, Rollins," Kimber teased, and gave him a gentle nuggie.

He laughed, and pulled her arms around him, scratchy Velcro brace and all. "You're right. Goodnight, Kimber. Thank you for putting up with me."

"Putting up with you? I think it's the other way around, so thank you. And, thank you for keeping me warm." Kimber snuggled him tighter, and he sighed in contentment.

In her arms, Seth was once again asleep in no time. But, sleep wasn't coming so easily for Kimber. Angry with Raven, worried about how she would travel without an ID two weeks from now, when a flight was required, and confused about what her feelings were for the peacefully sleeping man she was spooning. And, because she didn't know if she liked him as more than a friend or not, she kissed his bare, tanned, tattooed back very gently, just once, between his shoulder blades. "Goodnight, Seth," she whispered, and yawned. Strange that brought her peace.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – Across the River**

The next morning, her arms were empty. He'd already risen. The sun was shining brightly through the wall that was nearly all windows, and Kimber sat up quickly. The clock on Seth's night table said it was nearly ten. She had not slept so late in a long time. Out in the hall, walking down to the guest room, she could smell coffee, her lifeblood. She brushed her teeth and her hair, and washed her face. She pulled on a zip up hoodie over her wifebeater, put on a pair of black Puma socks, and hurried to the kitchen.

Seth was sitting at the counter in the shorts he'd slept in, and a hoodie, peering at his laptop and drinking coffee. "Good morning," Kimber said, with a smile. "I'm sorry I slept so late. Hope I didn't fuck up any plans you had. Next time wake me up, you hear?"

He got up and poured her a cup of coffee. "No need to be sorry. The only things I want to do today are drop off the rental car, get Paulie from the boarder, take you to Brave and Black, pick up some groceries, and relax, and none of that's on a schedule. I wasn't about to wake you up when there's no real reason to."

"Good point." She sipped her coffee.

"And, good morning." He smiled, but it looked somehow forced, and went to the fridge. "I made a smoothie for you if you want it. Orange-pineapple-banana, with a lot of protein powder."

"Sounds yummy, thanks." Kimber took the glass.

"I got an email from Stephanie this morning. It's official." Seth said, as though he was getting ready to announce doomsday.

She looked up in surprise and saw he was very upset. "What is it? I didn't get an email from her."

"They... Um, I got new merch again. I guess the message wasn't all bad." He gave a wry smile.

"Then what's the bad in that? More money for you. Is it really gaudy or stupid or something?" Kimber asked.

"Oh, no, it's actually a pretty okay t-shirt, better than the kingslayer one, I guess. It doesn't really matter, people will buy it anyway." Seth walked to the patio doors and looked out, his arms folded across his chest. "They're bringing back the Shield. I knew they would, even though we're all beyond it now, they fucked up on Roman in 2015 and this is the easiest way to get him over."

She nodded. "I knew it, too. Honestly, I thought they would have done it already, rather than letting his public approval crash like-"

He turned towards her. "I don't know if I can do it. It starts with me...and Dean." He bit down on his lower lip, and let out a shaky sigh. "And, it starts on Monday."

"They're just throwing you together, just like that? Like the last three years haven't happened?"

"No, no... There's weeks of buildup to it, and we'll win the tag titles at _SummerSlam_. Me, trying to talk to him, saving him, trying to make amends for breaking up the Shield, him still not trusting me after my betrayal. But, how can I play such a role with him? He broke us up. He broke my heart, and I have to appeal to him as though I've broken his. Fuck, it's impossible. I struggle just to work a match with him."

"You'll have to get past it somehow. You haven't spoken to him outside of the ring since he left you, have you?"

"No, how could I? He's always with Renee. And, all I would do is cry like a pansy and beg him to come back to me, even on the down low. I've actually cried every single time I've had to work with him since, those weird panting sounds the cameras pick up are actually very controlled sobs. I just let the tears mix with my sweat and the water from my hair. If I try not to cry, my face turns beet red, and I end up crying anyway." Seth wiped his eyes on his sleeves. "See, I'm doing it right now."

Kimber got up, and held him. "Hey, now. No crying in wrestling, remember?

"Yeah, yeah. I never knew I hadn't been in love before until I fell in love with Dean. I mean, I thought I was, I was even engaged once. But, what he and I had was so indescribably perfect, blissful, sunshine and rainbows, cotton candy, strawberry ice cream, whatever. I don't think I can find that with anyone else, and I don't want to. I want him and only him."

She stroked his hair. "I know... Or, maybe I don't... The way you describe it, I don't know if I've ever had that level of a connection with anyone, not even Raven. But lately, I've felt more comfortable with you. I care about you, and I want you to be happy. In two weeks, when we're in Vegas, you know Renee is going to invite me, and probably you, to stay at her and Dean's house. I think we should take her up on that offer. I'll do lots of girl stuff with her, make sure you and Dean have some time alone to talk and figure things out. I have a feeling what you guys had was just as special to him, and he's hurting just as bad every time he works with you."

"What if you don't get your ID back by then? You won't be able to fly."

"Oh, I'll have my ID back by then, I'm sure," Kimber said, firmly.

"Um, when you get it... Will you still travel with me?" Seth asked, hopefully.

"Yes. It's not often you find a good traveling partner, and I'd say we're quite compatible." Kimber's phone vibrated in the pocket of her hoodie, against Seth's groin, and she broke her comforting embrace. "Whoops, sorry." She looked at her phone, a text from Renee, asking if she and Seth would be her and Dean's house guests when _RAW_ was in Vegas. She showed the message to Seth. "See, I told you. What should I say?"

"Ummm... I don't know... Just tell her...yes, for both of us. If I chicken out, I'll get a hotel room."

"You're not going to chicken out, I won't let you." She sent Renee the reply exactly the way Seth had said it: _Yes, for both of us._ Renee replied: _Great! Really looking forward to it!_

"We're good to go," she told Seth.

"I can't wait." He replied, with no enthusiasm.

"Oh, Seth, cheer up already," Kimber chided, and gently stroked his beard. "Come on, let me see that smile." She gave him her trademark goofy one, and of course, he couldn't help but return it.

After taking care of the rental car, the grocery shopping, and picking up Paulie the pug, Seth drove Kimber, who held Paulie in her lap, across the river into Moline, Illinois. He beeped the horn as they crossed into the state, just for her. "Back on your native soil. How does it feel?"

"Hmmmm... Somewhat nostalgic. I've never been to Moline before, though." She stroked the yellow pug in her lap, and when his owner stopped at a light, he stood up and looked out the window, and began to get excited. "Someone knows where he is."

"Mhmm. Paulie loves going to school, don't you, boy?" Seth asked his dog, who got even more riled up, and was now climbing all over their laps, back and forth.

"Ari goes to school, too. I don't think it's exciting for her, though, because she just sleeps in the office the whole time." She looked out the window, they were in an industrial park. Seth guided the car around behind a building, and parked beside a big truck.

"Marek's here, you'll get to meet the Brave of Brave and Black."

The writing on the door was the only indication that it was a wrestling school. Seth used his key, and Paulie pushed past him and ran inside, his yips of excitement echoing in the big building. "Marek! Hey, Marek! I've got a surprise!" He called, as they walked down a dimly-lit hall. "I'll turn the lights on and show you around after we find Marek. He's got kind of a crush on you, and I didn't tell him you were coming, so he might go all fan boy on you." Seth laughed. "Do you mind if I video this?"

Kimber laughed. "Not at all. Where is he?"

Seth stopped before a closed door with a bar of light beneath it. "Right here, likely with headphones on. Wait outside, I want you to be a surprise."

She giggled, and backed down the hall, far away enough from the door not to be seen. Seth went inside, and she heard muffled conversation for a minute, and then Seth stepped out, phone in hand, recording himself. "I'm about to introduce Marek to Kimber, aka Britney Melrose, the girl he's been hot for...forever." He turned the phone to record Kimber, who smiled and waved before Seth nodded at her to go in.

Marek was at the desk, but the chair was turned so he couldn't see. "Turn around, Marek!" Seth told him.

Marek turned around. "Whoa! Fuck!" He really did scream like a girl, and grabbed at his now very-red face. Seth was laughing hysterically, and Kimber couldn't help but laugh, too. Marek recovered relatively quickly, but Seth, who was enjoying replays of Marek's reaction on his phone, continued to giggle off and on while Kimber got acquainted with him.

She didn't want to tell Marek he looked like Bo Dallas, but he did, with that long, straight dark hair and little brown eyes. She'd always thought that. Marek asked her to send him a D&D shirt, and she offered to trade him the one she was wearing for a Brave and Black shirt. He agreed, and gave her one, and was all eyes when she removed hers, and was in just a workout bra top. She pulled on the new shirt, and not to be outdone, Marek put the D&D shirt on, although it was way too small, and Seth took their picture while Kimber faith-hilled and made a tough face for the camera, and Marek posed like a beauty queen.

"I'll have Raven send you one in the right size. You can keep that one, too."

"Will you sign it? I'll get it framed and hang it up in here," Marek offered.

"Along with this picture," Seth added, and showed his friends their picture.

"Britney or Kimber?" She asked Marek.

He handed her a Sharpie, and put a few pieces of printer paper inside the shirt, and smoothed it out. "Whichever you prefer."

Kimber carefully wrote: _To my awesome friend, Marek Brave. XOXO, Britney Melrose (Kimber)_ She signed "Kimber" with a heart over the I, just like WWE wanted her to. When she was done, Marek hugged it to him. "Thank you! I've always thought you were the most amazing girl on the planet, and meeting you proves it. Let me get the lights, and I'll take you around the world...I mean, the wrestling school." Marek made an expression similar to Homer Simpson's when he said "D'oh!", and Seth laughed.

"Sorry about that," Marek told her.

"It's fine, I've had worse offers." Kimber quipped.

Brave and Black was huge. D&D could have almost fit into their training room, which had two rings, but had room for more. The locker rooms/bathrooms were large and even had showers. The lobby was comfortable, and had the ambiance of a man cave, with framed pictures of wrestlers, some autographed; shiny titles; and sparkling trophies. Brave and Black was expanding, too. They had just rented the unit beside them, which had been a gym, and they also purchased a great deal of the equipment to expand their workout area into a full gym. Kimber couldn't help but feel her own school was shit by comparison. They didn't even have their own gym.

Back in the car, Paulie settled in her lap, Kimber was still brooding about it, but she put on a happy face and waved farewell to her home turf as Seth drove over the river.

"Now that you've seen mine, you have to show me yours," he said.

"We talked about this yesterday, we've already seen each others' nudes. No need for modesty."

"I'm talking about your school, you perv!"

Kimber laughed. "Oh!"

"We'll be in Portland for _Smackdown_ next month, and no house shows that weekend, so I'd like to drive down and check it out."

"Okay, but I'll warn you, it's nothing compared to yours. We don't even have a gym. And, although Raven's nuts about you, I don't think her reaction to meeting you will be anything as entertaining as Marek's to meeting me."

Seth chuckled. "That one's going up on the site. So, your students have to pay for a gym membership, too?"

"No, we've formed an alliance with the gym next door. We can use it for free, but Chad has to teach crossfit for free, too. A pretty uneven trade if you ask me, since Chad leads five classes a week, plus weights on Saturday mornings, and we use the space maybe twice a week. Raven also teaches self-defense once a month. Because of WWE, my own involvement in the school is very minimal at this point, but I think the Emerald Triangle Gym gets more than enough free work from D&D."

"I'll say."

"We really should have looked elsewhere, for a larger space, but we fell in love with Humboldt county, and we didn't want to be too far from the school. Eureka's the county seat, and the school is the end two units of a strip mall, which used to house a laundry and a tanning salon, across the street from a Target and a rather good Mexican restaurant."

"I'm looking forward to seeing it. Would you mind making a mini-vacation out of it? There are other things I'd like to see out that way, too, like the Valley of the Giants. I've never been to Northern California, but I've heard it's beautiful."

Kimber nodded. "It is. And, I'd be honored to be your guide."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – It's True**

While Seth played in a Madden tournament in his man cave, Kimber made salmon cakes for dinner, recipe ruthlessly stolen from Lo, and her own signature chocolate cake with homemade buttercream frosting. Although she hated to cook, she was good at it, and everyone always loved the results of her cooking, and Seth was no different. When he came in, victorious over Xavier Woods in the finals, he devoured four of the salmon cakes, two helpings of the rice she served them with, and a huge slab of cake, and declared everything amazing. When he was done, he got up and gave the chef a huge hug, and big kiss on the top of her head. The cake had been better than his own mother's, he told her, as he took care of the dishes. He couldn't believe how the frosting had just melted in his mouth. Kimber just smiled, appearing modestly pleased, even though she knew her cake was a huge hit whenever she made it.

After dinner, they took Paulie for a walk around Seth's ten acres until the sun began to set. Then, they returned to the house, and Seth lit a fire in the outdoor fireplace. They each ate another slice of Kimber's cake and drank milk.

"There goes half my abs," she sighed, and leaned back on the wicker couch she was sitting in.

He laughed. "We'll make up for it tomorrow. We'll go for a run at dawn, then come back and do sit ups until we puke."

"Oh, you." Kimber giggled, and poked him in the ribs.

"Me?" He gave her a look as innocent as Mary's little lamb.

"Yes, you. We should probably hit the hay soon if you really think we should get up at the butt crack of dawn."

"Well, I think we should get up early to work out, maybe not at the butt crack of dawn, but early enough to go for a run before it starts getting hot, it's supposed to hit the nineties tomorrow."

"My first cross country meet, when I was a high school freshman, was on a ninety-five degree day, and I didn't even make it to the finish line. I could _see_ it though, that's how close I was. I was in fifth place, too, when I just had to stop. I was so dizzy, my vision and my hearing were going, and I was just panting. One of the coaches ran up and got in my face and began yelling at me to fucking run, and I managed to tell her I couldn't before I passed out. I woke up in the first aid truck. It was embarrassing as hell." She was surprised she'd shared that with him, for Kimber seldom ever spoke of her life before wrestling, particularly her school years, because they'd been rather difficult for her, as they've been for so many other kids since time out of mind.

Seth put out the fire, and poked at it to make sure it wasn't going to reignite before they went in for the night. In the guest room, after her shower, Kimber called Raven and asked her to send Marek a D&D shirt. Raven didn't ask her anything about Seth for once, and by the time they said their good nights and I love yous, Kimber wasn't mad at her anymore. She sent her a pic of Paulie, who was curled up on the bed she probably wouldn't be sleeping in tonight, and the forwarded pic Seth had snapped earlier, of her and Marek clowning around.

Seth knocked softly on her door frame, and Paulie let out half a bark. "Ready for bed?" He asked, softly, and she knew she'd be sleeping beside him tonight, and every night they were together. She plugged her phone in to its charger. "I am now." But, just as she set it down, it vibrated with a reply from Raven, along with a youtube video. It was titled "Kimber INJURED Backstage?!" and the thumbnail was a picture of her at the grocery store in Davenport, pointing out the salmon she wanted to the meat cutter. The brace was circled in red, with a big red arrow pointing it out. She showed it to Seth. "Good news travels fast, huh? I didn't even notice anyone taking my picture, did you?"

"No." Seth clicked on the video and they listened to the computer voice narrate as pictures of Kimber played. _Cutie pie Kimber, who's been spending her days off with Seth Rollins in his hometown of Davenport, Iowa, was seen leaving the arena with the Kingslayer midway through_ Smackdown, _which she did not appear in,_ _with a brace and an ice pack on her left wrist. The next day, the pair were spotted buying the fixings for a nice romantic dinner, and Kimber was still wearing the brace. She is also wearing the brace in a picture with Marek Brave, taken at the wrestling school he owns along with Rollins. Kimber apparently doesn't use any social media accounts, though she has a twitter and an instagram she has never made a single post, so there have been no updates from her regarding her condition. Since she did not appear on the show that night, nor in the dark matches beforehand, you can only assume she was injured before that. Since Kimber's had so much backstage heat since moving up to the main roster after only ten weeks in NXT, you can't help but wonder if the injury to her wrist occurred as a result of a locker room altercation with one or more of the other women on the roster._

"Cutie pie Kimber?" She asked, and rolled her eyes. "I'm not _that_ cute."

"Oh, yes you are that cute!" Seth gave her a big squeeze. "But, now that your injury is public speculation, you really should do a post to confirm it, and let it be known it's not serious. Fans like to be in the know. Come on, I'll even take your picture."

"But I'm already in my pjs, and I'm not wearing any makeup."

"They'll love it, it shows you're just a person, like them."

"As if just being injured didn't show that enough. Can Paulie be in the pic?"

"We can all be in the pic." He sat down beside her on the bed, and leaned back on the pillows. "Come here." Paulie jumped in his lap, then settled in Kimber's when she scooted closer to Seth, who put an arm around her to draw her in even closer, and she displayed her immobilized wrist on one bent knee, and looked up at what was reflected in her phone in Seth's hand. A happy couple and their devoted dog, ready to turn in for the night. "Perfect," Seth declared, and took a few shots, because the dog had moved his head.

They selected the best one, and Kimber uploaded it to her WWE instagram account and typed: "It's just a sprain. Dr. Paulie's taking good care of me. [doctor emoji, dog emoji, smiley face emoji] #CLUMSY #ITSTRUE" and showed it to Seth before posting. "Do you think the hashtag ITSTRUE implies too much?" She asked. They hadn't yet discussed how they felt about everyone assuming they were involved with one another on some romantic and/or sexual level.

Seth grinned. "Hell yes it does, but it's a good thing." He tapped her phone to put the message out there. "Keeps us both on everyone's mind, and we get to make men and women all over the world green with envy. Put it on your twitter, too."

Kimber did. "Our beautiful kayfabe is important to me, too. I think a lot of people have changed their minds about me because they think I'm dating you. Not the way I wanted to gain acceptance, but I'll take it."

"Then let's live it up." He planted a kiss on her cheek, and took a picture of it with his own phone. "Oh! I almost forgot... Marek wants your number. Can I give it to him?"

"Of course."

"I'll text it to him as soon as I post that last pic."

"You're _not?"_

"Just did." He showed her the post, him kissing wide-eyed, softly smiling Kimber on her tan, freckled cheek, and the words "Yes, Kimber and I are in a relationship. #NEWPOWERCOUPLE #ITSTRUE".

"And Kimber's not wearing any makeup," she added.

"It doesn't matter, because Seth thinks his girlfriend looks perfect with or without it." He stuck his tongue out at her and hopped off the bed and offered his hand. "Come, milady, let us retire to the kingslayer's chambers. Good night, Paulie," he said to the dog, who'd already fallen asleep on the guest bed.

Kimber giggled, and followed him to his bedroom. "Right now, we're blowing up social media," he told her.

"Your phone's blowing up, too." She pointed out. "And, in the guest room, mine's probably doing the same thing. I really should call Raven and let her know we're 'in a relationship'," Kimber did air quotes.

Seth grabbed her fingers. "No air quotes." He kissed her on the forehead as she gave him a perplexed look, but then she understood. With all the time they spent together, not to mention their unique sleeping arrangement, it was easy to put that particular label on it, even if it wasn't exactly true, it was still kind of true. They had shared a lot of emotional, intimate moments.

Kimber fetched her phone and charger and brought it to Seth's room. It began ringing in her hand. Raven. "Oh, love, I'm so happy for you!" She gushed. "I knew that chemistry was too strong for you two not to realize you should be together, I was right!"

"Yes, you were, babe."

"Did you have to make love first? To realize it?"

"No... We're taking things slow," Kimber began manufacturing her fake relationship as the thoughts came up, and she looked at Seth, and he nodded in approval, though he could only hear her half. "Really slow."

"How romantic," Raven mused. "I guess this is the end of your quest to hook him up with Dean."

"Absolutely not. That quest will continue. We've got to get up early to work out, so I'll talk to you tomorrow. Don't forget to send Marek his shirt."

"Already did, he should have it by Saturday. Love you, Brit-honey."

"Love you, too." She hung up and looked over at Seth. "Love you, too, boyfriend. Funny she didn't mention the brace." She went back to her phone, which was full of messages.

"Hey now, I thought we were taking things really slow, and there you go, throwing the L word around," Seth playfully chided her.

"Can't help it if my amazing boyfriend is so damn lovable."

He laughed, and scooped her up while she laughed and protested, then suplexed her gently on to his bed. He looked down at her as though he was going to kiss her, but instead he hooked her leg and began to count. "One...two..."

Kimber kicked out, and pushed Seth down on the bed, and straddled him, and went for a pinfall of her own, a bad one, her right forearm across his chest, and she didn't even get to a two-count before he sat up, picked her up again, right from her pinning position, and softly power bombed her on the bed. This time, he did kiss her, right on the nose, before letting her go, and lying down beside her.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have done all that with you being injured."

She snuggled up, her head on his hairy chest, and reached up to stroke a lock of his hair that had escaped his man bun. "No harm done. It was fun. We should wrestle more often."

He smiled, and put his arm around her. "We will, as soon as your wrist is better." He gave her a hug. "Let's go to sleep."

Kimber nodded, and sat up so they could arrange covers and pillows, and moved to let Seth slide in beside her, into her arms. She squeezed him tight, and kissed the same spot she'd kissed the night before, only this time he was still awake. "Good night, boyfriend."

Seth kissed her fingertips. "Sweet dreams...of me!"

Kimber laughed. "Always, my darling, always."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15- Back to Work**

Too soon, Kimber's mini-vacation in Davenport was over, and she was sharing another double-vanity with Seth, this one in a posh Chicago hotel room. Their restroom even had a bidet, which Seth told her wasn't a drinking fountain, which made her punch him in the arm, and chase after him with a lip pencil. Their "relationship" had gotten them both a lot of attention, and not all of it was positive. Renee had warned her that Seth's fangirls would leave all kinds of nasty comments, and even make threats, and they had, but Kimber was used to it, albeit on a much smaller scale, from when she dated guys in the indies. The worst stuff came in text message form, from numbers she didn't recognize, but she was all but certain who'd sent them, considering the context. She had not replied to them, only to ones from friends and family. Everyone she'd replied to was so happy for her, especially her parents, because Seth was handsome, rich, and famous. They were not so thrilled about Raven, even though they'd been together for years. Kimber felt bad about lying to her parents and loved ones, but there was definitely a reward for the lie.

Upon her arrival at the arena, on Seth's arm, she quickly saw that people were treating her with more respect. Even Hunter stopped to talk to them. "Ah, the new power couple."

Seth smiled proudly, and squeezed Kimber's hand, and she feigned bashfulness, smiling down at the ground.

"How's your wrist?" Hunter asked Kimber.

"Much better." She pushed up her sleeve and showed him. No brace. No swelling. Full movement with only the slightest pain.

"She even did one-armed push-ups on it this morning," Seth said.

Hunter looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

"No, I'm just fucking with you." Seth laughed. "She did regular push-ups."

"Then you're set for action tonight," Hunter told her.

"Yes Sir." She was to accompany the Hardy Boyz to the ring for their match against Gallows and Anderson, who would be accompanied by Dana Brooke, and she and Dana would brawl on the outside. Typical WWE repeat rehash.

"Good. And you? This is an important night, remember."

"I know," Seth replied, and Kimber felt his hand beginning to sweat. "Match with Owens. I save Dean from the Miztourage, put out my fist afterwards, and he leaves me hanging."

"Remember to be emotional. Cry if you can."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Seth whispered to Kimber, and she stroked his hand with her thumb reassuringly.

"What was that?" Hunter asked him.

"Won't be a problem. I got this."

"Of course you do. And, it's the debut of your new shirt, too, so make sure you wear it." Hunter patted him on the back before excusing himself, and Kimber was amused to see her companion blushing.

"Him too?" She asked, and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but it was _years_ ago." Seth chuckled. "Why do you think I was in NXT so long?"

Kimber giggled. "Sleeping with your married boss. My, you _are_ a dirty boy, aren't you?"

"The dirtiest. Absolutely filthy in thoughts, words, and deeds. I-" He stopped short, having caught sight of Renee approaching from way down the hall, with Dean. Dean didn't look like he wanted to talk to the new power couple, but was going along with his wife, because it was important to her. Kimber felt Seth tense up. "I should go get ready."

She wouldn't let go of his hand. "No, you shouldn't. There's plenty of time to get ready, the show doesn't start for two hours."

"Kimber, I can't."

"You can at least say hi to him." There was no more time for Seth to debate her, Renee and Dean were just steps away.

The women greeted each other with hugs, and over Renee's shoulder, she saw Dean and Seth shake hands, though they didn't make eye contact. While Kimber and Renee chatted about Kimber's time in Davenport, and their upcoming visit, the men avoided each other, and fidgeted in discomfort. It was clear to Kimber that Dean's heart was aching, too, and her heart ached for both of them. They _needed_ to be together again.

Seth kissed her on the lips for the first time right in front of her biggest haters. "See you in a bit, sweetheart," he told her, with a flirty wink, before continuing on to the men's locker room. And Kimber turned to face the Real Sorority.

"Now are you going to tell us how that dick tastes?" Emma asked, her tone belying her seething jealousy. Kimber pushed through them and into the locker room. Now that she was "in a relationship" with one of the top men in the company, she would use that to her advantage, and not even address the Real Sorority.

"Fucking a guy you've known less than a week. Don't you have an ounce of self-respect, you fucking slut?" Carmella demanded.

"No, of course she doesn't. She's just a puppyslut. She probably made it with his dog, too," Alexa said. "Didn't you, puppyslut? Did you fuck Seth's dog, too?"

"And, she posted the whole fucking thing on her instagram. Fucking attention whore, and a regular whore," Emma added.

Kimber ignored them, and began stripping out of her dress clothes. She was looking forward to not having to wear her skanky ring attire, instead she had fashionably ripped skinny jeans, Alicia's top Alexa had shredded for her use, a pair of white, green, and gray Pumas, and a gray Hardy Boyz mechanic's shirt.

And, of course, the moment she was in her underwear, they jumped her, and pinned her to the ground, her face against the dirty tiles. She struggled, but there were at least eight arms holding her down, and someone was sitting on her back, too. Her wrist was completely exposed, and a feeling of dread brewed in her stomach, but Alexa got right down in her face. "Who the fuck gave you permission to move about on two legs? Who the fuck gave you permission to get ready? Just because you're fucking Rollins and the whole fucking world thinks that's the best thing since Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan doesn't give you an automatic pass. Your fans might think you're cute and special, but you're nothing fucking special to us. You're just a puppyslut, and it's time to remind you of that."

A hand plunged into her hair, grabbed a handful of it, and pulled her head up. Her collar and lead was fastened around her neck, and Alexa used it to pull her into a kneeling position as the other women got off her. "There, that's better. You might think your place is on Seth's face but-"

"Get off of her, quick! The boss is coming!" Alicia hissed, and poked her head back out of the locker room door.

"She's not supposed to be back for like four months yet, and at any rate, who cares? I'll rip that hair hat right off her head and-" Alexa began.

"Not Banks, the real boss!"

"Oh, shit." Alexa undid Kimber's collar and threw it into a locker, and everyone began getting ready just before Stephanie McMahon came in. Tall and built, confident and beautiful, she embodied all the power her father, brother, and husband were known for.

"Good evening, ladies," Stephanie began.

Everyone, including half-naked Kimber, stopped what they were doing and looked at her, noting that the boss did not look exactly happy, and Kimber saw the Real Sorority exchange apprehensive glances.

"Alexa, get over here. The rest of you, keep getting ready, and listen to what I say, because this involves everyone." Stephanie commanded, and everyone obeyed. As she pulled on her pants, Kimber was smugly pleased to see Alexa come before the boss, timid, meek, and submissive, clutching the title she'd won from Natalya on last week's _Smackdown_.  
"My father was wrong to make you the face of the women's division. You can't handle it, and let's face it, you can't wrestle."

Kimber nodded in agreement, not even trying to hide her smile. What a great start to the work week.

"Our ratings during your segments drop. People are tuning you out, and thus, so am I. Don't get too comfortable with that title, because you're dropping it at _SummerSlam."_ Stephanie announced.

Kimber almost laughed at Alexa's dismayed, impotently angry facial expression.

"In two weeks, at _Money in the Bank,_ there will be a women's ladder match, and Kimber will become Miss Money in the Bank."

Kimber inwardly rejoiced. She couldn't wait to walk around with the briefcase, and to be announced: _From Springfield, Illinois, Miss Money in the Bank, Kimber!_

"Her?" Alexa asked in shock, her eyes as big as pie plates.

"Are you questioning me, little Miss Bliss?"

"No Ma'am." Alexa's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Kimber is what's best for business."

"Funny you should realize that only after she began sleeping with your husband's protege," Carmella said coldly. _"I_ should be Miss Money in the Bank-"

Stephanie shoved Alexa aside, and stepped up to Carmella and glared down at her. _"Never, ever fucking tell me you should be anything more than nothing!"_ She turned back to them all. "Kimber's relationship with Seth had absolutely no bearing on my decision. I chose Kimber because she is an embodiment of what a female superstar should be. She is your future champion, and she's going to have a long title reign."

Kimber was so pleased to hear that Stephanie believed in her, and was ready to trust her to be the face of the women's division. She would be at the very top of the wrestling industry, eight years after starting out at the lowest level. Happy tears smarted in her eyes, and she blinked them away quickly.

"I will announce the competitors for the briefcase tonight, in my opening promo. If your name isn't mentioned, you know why. I do have eyes and ears. Now give Kimber her things back."

Alexa went to her bag, and pulled out Kimber's cards, rubber banded into a neat pile, and her passport and whipped them in her direction. Stephanie immediately seized her by the hair. "Pick them up and hand them to her!"

The lesser woman obeyed, and Kimber was happy to see that she was crying. Finally, she had her life back, and some revenge.

The Money in the Bank ladder match competitors were announced as Natalya, Naomi, Tamina Snuka, Dana Brooke, Mickie James, and Kimber. After her part on _RAW_ was over, she traded the Hardy Boyz shirt and Alicia's top for a plain black wifebeater and because the AC was cranked, Seth's zip-up hoodie, but rather than going to her usual spot to watch the main event of Dean versus the Miz, she stayed backstage with Seth as he waited to make his entrance, doing cutesy couple stuff.

"I feel like I'm going to be sick," he whispered.

She held him close. "No you won't. You can do this."

"I need to pee again."

"No you don't, you just went like ten minutes ago. Just relax, it's only your nerves," she told him. "You'll be okay." She gave him a kiss on the cheek as his music started up, and then he ran out. She hurried over to her usual vantage point, where Renee was already sitting in time to see Seth jump into the ring on "Burn it DOWN!" and the flash of red lights. He went right after Bo.

"Hey future Miss Money in the Bank!" Renee patted the chair beside her.

"Hey future mommy. I'm going to stay standing, I want to see this as well as I can," Kimber replied, her eyes fixed on her guy beating the crap out of Bray's little brother as Dean began to rally back against Mr. Perfect's uncharismatic son.

Renee rose, too. The ring was now clear except for Dean and Seth. They paced around, uncertain, glancing at each other with mistrust. Then, Seth stopped, and put his fist out, and the crowd went nuts at the very first hint of a Shield reunion, chanting _"YES! YES! YES!"_ over and over while Dean stopped and pondered Seth's hopeful gesture before shaking his head, and walking away. Seth was left in the ring, alone and dejected, while his former lover's music played. His shoulders were slumped in defeat, and he wiped at his eyes.

"Wow..." Renee sighed. "That was deep."

Kimber nodded. "I should go wait for him. See you at _Smackdown."_ She gave her a hug, and met Seth as he came backstage. He put an arm around her, and led her past everyone else down a dark hallway, and made sure they were alone before he pulled off his new shirt, (which matched the addition to his entrance theme, it had flames and the words "BURN IT DOWN" printed on it, along with his symbol), and buried his face in it. He leaned over a cart, and Kimber petted his hair and rubbed his back while he got himself back under control. She felt terrible that Seth should have had such an awful night when hers had been the best ever, and it was thanks to her relationship with him. Yes, Stephanie had denied it, but Kimber knew it had to have had some influence in her sudden push to the moon.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 – Viva Las Vegas**

On Saturday night, immediately after a house show, Kimber and Seth flew to Las Vegas. Seth had done better job of working with Dean on _Smackdown,_ and the following two house shows, but he was still apprehensive about spending time with him away from the ring. Yet, he still drove them in a rental to the large, expensive home, where he'd once stayed with the man his heart was aching for. Renee met them at the door, in slippers and a silk robe, and told them Dean had fallen asleep in the den. Relief spread over Seth's face, but it was replaced by a grimace of sadness or pain when she showed them to their room. It was right on the first floor, on the left side of the house, and had a pair walk-out doors to a private patio.

"Are you guys hungry?" Renee asked.

Seth shook his head. "No, we're good," Kimber replied.

"Sure? I don't mind whipping something up real quick."

"Don't go through the trouble, we're fine," Kimber insisted.

"Well, if you change your mind, help yourselves to whatever you'd like in the kitchen. And if you need anything else, just shoot me a text and I'll come down. Goodnight."

"Thanks for having us, Renee. Goodnight." She replied for both of them, Seth had slipped into the restroom. When Renee left, she knocked on the door. "You can come out now, she's gone."

Seth came out. "I wasn't hiding, I was pissing."

"Yeah, sure," Kimber teased.

"Okay, I was hiding. Being here, in this room, is fucking hard. This was...you know, _our_ room." He looked around at the familiar, pale aqua walls and brown and gold drapes. "I've tied Dean to this bed a couple dozen times."

Kimber smiled, because she'd written about that in her fan fiction. She wondered if Dean had gotten into bondage on account of that, or if he'd always been into it. Seth was standing at the patio doors, looking at the city that never slept in the distance. She went to him, and wrapped her arms around him from behind. He pulled her hands up to his face, and kissed them before opening the doors, and guiding her out on to the patio.

"Beautiful view," she commented.

"Yes," he replied, and sat down on an outdoor sofa. "Come here."

Kimber sat down beside him, and he put an arm around her, so she snuggled up. She could sense Seth's misery, and when she looked at his face, she could see it in his eyes. She had to get him to let it out. "Penny for your thoughts."

Seth held out his hand, and they both giggled a little at the weak joke, but he cleared his throat, and played with a lock of Kimber's hair. "This...this just sucks. I know Renee doesn't know about me and Dean, and this is their best guest room, but being shown to it by her, and having to stay in it is...shitty. It's like a slap in the face. And, I can't shake the memories of all the times Dean and I played here and made love here. It's so unfair, and I'm just aching inside right now, it hurts."

"I don't think breaking up with you was any easier on him. He's hurting, too, Seth." Kimber said softly, and lifted his hand to kiss the tattoo on his wrist. "Maybe even worse than you are, because he had to break the heart of a man he loves."

"I know it wasn't easy for him to do, to completely cut me out of his life, and commit fully to Renee. Even though it feels now like he never loved me, I know he did."

"He still does. This might sound weird to you coming from someone who's supposed to be your girlfriend, but I think you and Dean were meant to be together just as much as the rest of the world thinks you and I were meant to be together. I think Dean still wants to be with you."

An hour later, when Seth was asleep in her arms, and Kimber was almost there, she heard a noise. She sensed a presence, and carefully half-opened one eye. A tallish, muscular figure was standing in the doorway. Dean. So, she was right. He missed Seth. What she would have given at that moment to be a fly on the wall rather than an obstacle to whatever Dean might want to say or do to his former (and hopefully future) lover. He stood there for what felt like an eternity to Kimber, at one point taking a few tentative steps forward before retreating to the doorway. Shortly after that, he stepped out and carefully closed the door.

They both awoke late the next morning, and realized at the same time that Seth had had a wet dream. He'd apparently been out of his shorts at the time, (he'd gone to bed in just a pair of red and black plaid boxers), because it was all over the sheets. "Kimber, I don't even know how to tell you how sorry I am. I'm so fucking embarrassed." He sat up and buried his reddened face in his hands.

She sat up and rubbed his back. "Seth, honey, it's okay. It's just your body doing what it does naturally, nothing to be embarrassed about, not with me." She kissed him between the shoulder blades. "I'll get fresh sheets from Renee later, I'll tell her I wet the bed."

"You wouldn't." Seth smiled, and chuckled.

"Yes I would, because that's the kind of wonderful girlfriend I am. It's common knowledge that I pissed myself during a match once, when Raven and I were cosplaying as the Shield, fun fact, so everyone probably thinks I have bladder problems, anyway. Then, I'll wash these sheets myself, and no one will the be wiser."

"You really are a sweetheart." He gave her a squeeze. "When you cosplayed as the Shield, you were me, right?"

"Yup. I even had a blonde hairpiece I'd stick in my hair. Had to wear that bulky tactical vest, too. Fuck, I hated that thing."

"Me too. And soon, I'll be donning it again."

"I won't," Kimber replied, and grinned. "No more chafage for me. Shall we get in the shower?"

"Together?"

"Well, there are two shower heads, and more than enough room."

"Hmmm...Well, we _are_ supposed to be boyfriend and girlfriend, and showering together is one of those things boyfriends and girlfriends do. So, let's do it, and then take some selfies! Just kidding about the selfies."

Kimber laughed, and hopped out of bed and took off her pjs. Seth followed her to the bathroom singing. "Strong as I am, but I am only a man, so I take her to the can-"

"It's the wrong way," she finished. "I need to pee and brush my teeth. Give me a minute, unless you don't mind sharing the bathroom with me while I do that. I'm not shy." She sat down on the toilet.

"Neither am I. And please hurry up." He picked up his toothbrush. As Kimber peed and undid her braid, she could see his reflection in the mirror, the drying cum on his lower stomach. He'd not yet taken off the boxers. She wiped herself, vaguely turned on by being naked and about to shower with her kayfabe boyfriend, and flushed the toilet, and went to brush her teeth. In the mirror, Seth's back was to her, since he was pissing, but she could see his naked ass, he'd finally dropped the boxers.

He came over while her mouth was full of Listerine. "You've got Rocko on your ass!"

Kimber gargled, and spit. "Two of them. Rocko in love on my left cheek; note how his tail looks suspiciously like a boner. Bashful Rocko on my right."

"Is it just me, or is bashful Rocko standing in a puddle of piss?"

"Not just you. He is indeed standing in a puddle of piss. Whether it's his or someone else's is yours to decide."

"Tribute to that time you had an accident in your special ops gear?" Seth teased.

Kimber laughed. "No, a tribute to my watersports fetish. Pissing my Architect of the Shield costume was not part of my fetish, by the way. I definitely didn't get off on it. I just _really_ needed to go."

"Oh really?" Seth teased, as he followed her into the shower. "I thought it was because you were scared."

 _"You're_ the one who's going to be scared if you drop that soap, sweet cheeks. One of my other fetishes is sticking stuff up cute guys' butts. Including things belonging to me." Kimber held out her hand, then made a fist and cocked it, like Roman Reigns, while giving him an evil grin.

He returned it. "Well, my sweet dirty girlfriend, it just so happens I love having stuff shoved up my butt, and I'm a guy, and I'm sexy as fuck."

"Sounds like someone might just drop his soap on purpose." Kimber laughed, and took a sneaky peek of Seth's junk. He was a shower, and a grower, and he was growing. So was she, between her legs she was swollen, and she was aware of her wetness, different from the shower water that ran down her tanned, ripped, tattooed body and into her most intimate areas. Could it be that she really _would_ fuck him? She'd better change the subject. "And by the way, I wasn't scared of doing that move. Nothing in any match scares me. I'm really looking forward to _Money in the Bank._ I'll be able to do some really amazing spots."

Seth stuck his tongue out at her. "Show off."

"Guilty. If I didn't love to show off, why would I ever have become a wrestler? Can I be a little conceited? Yeah, sometimes. But, I've earned the right to be. I can do things that no other woman on that roster right now can."

"Yes you can. I can't wait to see you work with the Horsewomen, those will be great matches."

"I heard Bayley's supposed to be at the training center starting Monday morning. Good news." Talking about work was toning down her libido, and she looked over to see that Seth's hard-on had gone semi. The sexual tension had passed.

After the shower, they couldn't resist taking a selfie in their towels, but they did not share it, aside from Seth sending it to Kimber. She put on a pale aqua sundress, anticipating a day of doing girl stuff with Renee, like going shopping for baby stuff, drinking fancy coffee at a little table for two outside of a Starbucks, maybe baking something special for the men. _No, not baking,_ Kimber thought, as she put on her makeup. _Keep her out of the house. Let Dean and Seth have the place to themselves, and make Seth tell all the moment you're alone with him._ Fuck, was she a perv. Not ten minutes ago, she could have been fucking Seth, but all she could think about was Dean, holding his former Shield brother by the hips, and pulling him down on to his cock, possibly right in the very same bed she was stripping down. At least there was a vinyl mattress cover on it, making her bedwetting lie a little less embarrassing.

Seth got dressed in gym clothes, hoping Dean would ask him to join him in one of his desert workouts, just like old times. But, disappointment awaited him. Only Renee was in the kitchen, sitting at the center island with a cup of tea and a pregnancy magazine, also dressed in a sundress, only hers was pale violet with a pattern of white hibiscus. "Good morning," she said warmly, and smiled. "Dean's already left to go work out. What would you like for breakfast?"

"Clean sheets..." Kimber replied, feigning embarrassment. "I wet the bed."

Renee looked surprised, but not disgusted. "Oh my gosh. Do you do that often?"

"Not anymore. I did all the time when I was a kid, but I never completely outgrew it, I guess. Please don't tell anyone." She sniffled to add to the act.

Seth came up and held her and stroked her back. "It's not your fault, honey."

"Kimber, I'd never do that. I'll show you where the laundry and the clean sheets are."

"Thank you." She wiped her tearless eyes. "I'm so embarrassed. I'm sorry."

Renee gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine, don't worry about it."

She insisted on helping Kimber make the bed. "Dean's not happy." She said, in a strange, strained voice, and Kimber looked at her and was surprised to find her near-tears. Renee was one of the most upbeat, friendly, happy-go-lucky people she'd ever known, and to see her in such a state was a shock.

Kimber stopped tucking the flat sheet, and went over to her friend's side, and put an arm around her, and they sat down on the bed. "Ever since he found out about the Shield reunion, he hasn't been himself. He's become...withdrawn. He won't talk about it, but I know it has to do with Seth, because he's gone out of his way to avoid him since you guys arrived."

"We only got here late last night, Renee. I'm sure he won't be working out in the desert all day, he'll have to come home eventually, and Seth will be here. I'm sure that whatever happened between them will be hashed out by the time we get back."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 – Two-thirds of a Shield Reunion**

Kimber was right. When she and Renee arrived back at the house, both men came to greet them in the garage, and unload purchases from the back of Renee's new crossover. Seth was happier than Kimber had ever seen him, and when he welcomed her with a kiss on the lips, he also whispered "Thank you." And, the kingdom rejoiced! Dean was also in the very best of moods, and he and Seth joked and laughed while they carried their women's shopping bags inside. The kitchen smelled snugly of sweet treats; the guys had baked cookies, oatmeal scotchies, which were one of Kimber's favorites, and Renee's very favorite.

"Don't fill up too much on those," Dean told them. "We've got a reservation at Gordon Ramsay Steak for dinner."

"Oh my gosh!" Renee bounced up and down and kissed her husband. "We need to get ready!"

Kimber grabbed her bags from the center island in the kitchen and beckoned to Seth. Like the good girlfriend she was, she had shopped for him, as well. Thanks to having done his laundry along with hers, she knew all of his sizes, his style, and the brands he preferred. He was very pleased with the casual black suit, stylish black shirt, and snug gray jeans, and touched that she'd noticed his socks were getting holey, and had bought a package of those, as well.

"Thank you so much, Kimber. I'm the luckiest man in the world." He held her, and then, for the first time ever, he kissed her on the lips in private. His lips lingered, and Kimber allowed hers to part a little, but he didn't slip her the tongue. Instead, he kissed her a few more times, and caressed her face. "You should hurry up and get ready."

Kimber reached behind her neck to untie the halter top of her dress, and was dismayed to discover she'd tied some of her hair into the knot as well. "Hey, a little help here, please?"

Seth grinned. "Help my beautiful girlfriend get naked? Hell yes!" He began carefully working her hair out as he untied the double-knot.

"Thank you."

He kissed her neck. "No problem. I'm thinking maybe I should wear that new shirt you bought me instead of what I've got on." He pulled off his shirt, and put on the new one and admired himself in the mirror while Kimber traded her dress for a new black jumpsuit she'd bought to replace the one that had been ripped off of her on WWE her debut night. Seth tied the halter straps for her while she held her hair up, then let his arms casually encircle her waist, and they looked at themselves in the mirror. "We really are one hell of a beautiful couple."

"Mhmm," Kimber agreed, and craned her neck and stood on tiptoes to kiss him. "I see you and Dean have made up."

He broke out into a helpless, silly smile. "Made up, made out, made love, and made cookies."

"You _know_ I want details!"

"Well, first we blended the butter, sugar, and-"

She gave him a playful push. "Jackass. You know I wasn't talking about the cookies."

He laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. That's my perverted Kimber. But, because you're so awesome, and I'm so happy, how can I not share?"

"From the beginning, please!"

He indulged her. He had been so nervous alone in the big house, waiting for Dean to return. He'd finally gone downstairs to their gym, and began lifting weights (which Kimber promptly scolded him for doing alone), and losing himself in his favorite songs. Then, Dean was there, dirty and sweaty from his workout, in the spotter's position, but he didn't say anything until Seth had finished the set and sat up on the bench and wiped his face. Then, Dean had gotten down on his knees beside him, and told him that the last few months without him had been hell, and that he'd been wrong to end it. He apologized over and over for breaking Seth's heart, and begged him for another chance. No, he would not leave Renee, nor did he expect him to leave Kimber, he was apparently in the school of believing Kimber and Seth (or Kimbrollins, as the internet had recently dubbed them) made a perfect couple, and if he couldn't be with Seth openly, then Kimber ought to be, since it was very obvious they cared for each other deeply. Seth had told her that naturally, their favorite fan fiction author was all for him being with Dean, and had been the one to suggest to a day of shopping to Renee, to give them time alone. Dean immediately suggested they not waste it, and they began kissing, and groping and-

There was a knock on their door, and Seth went to answer it. Kimber watched from the bathroom. It was Dean, and after looking over his shoulder, he gave Seth a quick kiss. "You two almost ready to go? We have to leave soon, traffic can be bad sometimes."

"Yes, come in for a second."

Dean did, and closed the door behind him, and immediately, he and Seth were all over each other, making out hot and heavy. Kimber immediately became aroused, and reached up to caress her left breast, and stroke her nipple before she realized that she was not imagining things, nor was she alone. Of course, they hadn't noticed her, and she grabbed an issue of _Better Homes and Gardens_ off of the toilet tank and fanned herself with it, lest she become so hot and bothered she started humping the corner of the sink. She had brought her favorite couple together again, and not just on a laptop, taking lots of breaks to rub one out.

The foursome had a lovely time at Gordon Ramsay Steak. The staff knew they were important guests, and spoiled them. They even took a picture with the executive chef, who'd won _Hell's Kitchen,_ one of the few things Kimber watched on tv, in some past season. Since Renee agreed to drive home, Dean and Seth had too much to drink in celebration of their reunion, and Kimber quaffed a little champagne with them, because it was a special night for her, too. She couldn't wait to get Seth back to the house, alone in bed or on the patio, so he could tell her about the rest of his triumphant tryst. Now that Dean was back in his life, Seth was a happy, clingy drunk who dumped loads of affection and chivalry on to Kimber. Unfortunately, he also dumped half a drink into the lap of her new jumpsuit. Even though he was a happy drunk this time around, he was still a clumsy one, and Kimber saw he'd taken off his shoes when he got up to let her out of the booth to clean up.

"That's why your socks get holes, hon," she told him.

Renee accompanied her to the ladies' room, and handed her wet paper towels over the stall door so she could deal with the sticky liquor as well as she could. "I'm so happy," Renee said. "The guys have finally made up. You were right."

Kimber emerged from the stall. "I know guys." She went to the sink. Even though her jumpsuit was black, she could still see the wetness. "Ugh, I look like I've gone and pissed myself. And, I smell like a bar mat."

"We should probably go, I think Dean's had enough."

"I _know_ Seth's had enough." She looked down at her wet clothes again in dismay.

Dean and Seth had started on another round of drinks when the women got back to the table, and Renee gave her husband a warning look. "Last one, I promise. And, we'll slam them."

Renee laughed. "You don't have to-"

But, it was too late. The men had picked up their glasses, and were grinning at each other. "Ready, Seth?"

"No, but let's do this!" And they counted together: "One, two, three!"

Dean got his glass down first, and slammed it down on the table, making several other diners glare at them. Seth put his down half-finished and began fumbling his feet back into his shoes.

"Come on, Seth! Never give up!" Dean almost shouted, and Renee giggled behind the finger she'd pressed to her lips. Kimber muffled her laughter in her napkin.

"I'm not giving up, my bladder is," Seth replied, and gave up on trying to put his shoes on all the way, and hurried to the men's room with them half-on, like slippers.

"Fuck, he's going to fuck up his knee again!" Dean exclaimed, and took off after him.

"I hope he remembers to pee, too, otherwise we'll be stopping somewhere on the way home," Renee said, and laughed.

"We'll probably have to stop anyway for my guy. Once he breaks the seal, he's gotta go like every fifteen minutes." The check came, and Kimber swiftly picked it up, and placed her debit card in the folder.

"Thank you, but you shouldn't have."

"My thanks to you and Dean for being such wonderful hosts, and to Seth for being the most wonderful boyfriend a girl ever had."

Back at the house, Kimber put her hair up in a claw, and got into the shower. She wasn't surprised when the door opened, and Seth joined her. But, he didn't turn on the other tap, he joined her under hers, and stole her shower poof. He washed and rubbed her back before letting the shower rinse the suds away, then he kissed her neck, and gave her a very gentle bite. She sighed with pleasure as warmth built between her legs, and Seth began to suck so hard she knew she would have a hickey. And, _RAW_ was tomorrow night! She pulled away.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked, nervously. "I wasn't going to come in here, I've taken more than enough showers today, but I needed another, and I didn't want to wait-"

Kimber turned and put a finger to his lips. "No, my sweet boyfriend could never to anything wrong." She removed her finger, and replaced it with her lips before pulling away again. "However, you owe me one story ending. What did the two-thirds of the Shield do today while the womenfolk were away?"

Seth grinned. "This really gets you off, doesn't it?"

"My darling, you have no idea. Please, please continue." She almost begged, and turned off the shower taps.

He handed her a towel, and took one for himself. "He picked me up and carried me into our room. We were both all dirty and sweaty from working out, so we went to the shower, and... It was just like the months between now and the last time we were together had never even happened." He followed Kimber out to the bedroom, and watched her pull on a pair of boyish briefs printed with Mario characters. He tried to hide his erection by wrapping his towel around his hips, but all it did was make his arousal all the more noticeable. Oh, the perils of being so well hung.

"Details," Kimber reminded him, as she brushed out her hair and braided it, into two this time, so she'd have nice, loose waves tomorrow.

He laughed. "Tell me more, tell me more, huh?"

She nodded eagerly.

"Okay, come here." He laid down naked on the bed, and patted the spot beside him.

Kimber hurried over, and threw herself down beside him. "Did you tie him to this bed again?"

"No, we stayed in the shower. Would have been pretty awkward to explain another set of messy sheets to Renee."

Kimber laughed, and he snugged her. "So, we went in the shower, and got dirty," Seth continued. "We both needed to pee, so we went on each other. We only started exploring piss play after reading your fan fiction, but fuck, we love it. We drank each other, too. I love spitting it back out at him, feels so playful and dirty. I couldn't help it, I had to suck him off when he was done. He begged me to stop, because he didn't want to bust yet, but I didn't want to stop, I wanted to taste him so bad, and he just couldn't hold back any longer. He started cumming in my mouth, but I pulled away after getting my taste and jacked him instead, because I wanted it all over me."

"Wow..." Kimber squirmed, uncomfortably horny. Hearing all of this from Seth was turning her on, hardcore. "That was fucking hot."

"Oh, I'm not done yet," Seth said, dreamily. "After Dean came all over me, we spread a couple towels on the tile and made out. He stroked my cock, then he stopped kissing me, and began sucking me off, and opening me with his fingers. It felt so good I wanted to bust right away, like he had, but he sensed that, and stopped, and just fingered me, instead, and turned so I could play with his cock again. When I was ready to take him, he folded the towels to cushion my knees, grabbed my hips, and very slowly he gained entrance into my tight rosebud."

Kimber was in so much pain between her legs she wanted to moan. It took all of her efforts not to touch herself, or make him touch her. Her undies were so wet they'd soaked through. She hoped he was done, she couldn't take much more of this sexual torture.

But, he continued, unrelenting, to the end. "It felt so good to have him back inside me. When he hit my prostate, it was like my whole body came. He never lasts long inside me, and while I was still cumming, he pulled out and came a second time, down my ass crack. After that, we cuddled until we recovered, then we took a shower. After that, we made cookies." Seth smiled.

Kimber hopped out of bed. "Be right back!" She almost shouted, and ran to the bathroom. She locked the door behind her, sat down on the closed toilet, and thrust her hands down into her undies. She wished she'd brought a toy, she was desperate for penetration, but she didn't have the balls to do it with her fingers, even though her nails were short, she was still terrified of hurting herself. Instead, she worked her clit between her index fingers frantically and had a very rushed, but very intense, orgasm that made her cry out, hopefully it wasn't loud enough for Seth to hear. Her shaking leg kicked the metal trashcan, and it tipped over with a loud clang, spilling their used q-tips and Kleenex everywhere.

Kimber recovered for thirty seconds, then righted the trashcan and collected the trash. She washed her hands, and tried to enter the bedroom like all was normal, but she quickly started blushing under Seth's gaze.

"You didn't flush the toilet," he said.

"Damn it!" She palmed her forehead.

"Busted," Seth teased.

"Yeah, you caught me. I was jilling off." Kimber went to her bag for a clean pair of undies and pulled them on.

"Me and Dean really turn you on that much?"

"Nothing turns me on more, to be honest." She returned to his arms.

He stroked one of her braids. "And, you made it all possible. I owe you so much."

Kimber propped her head up in her hand. "No, I owe you. You saved my ass, like Mario saves Princess Peach. You've made a lot more things possible for me merely by posting a picture of us together online. On Sunday, I'm going to be Miss Money in the Bank."

Seth kissed her. "Do you know when you're going to cash it in yet?"

"Tentatively, the plan is I'll cash it in at _SummerSlam,_ after Alexa successfully defends the title against Bayley; they're sure enough about her return that they've written her in, since she had to relinquish the title when she got hurt. And, you know I'm dying to cash in on that Harley Quinn wannabe. But, as you know, things can change with every breath Vince takes."

"I didn't know I was going to cash in until twenty minutes before I did. Hey, if they stick to the current plans, you and I will win titles on the same night! I mean, mine's just a tag team title, but I'll be a tag team champion with Dean for the first time. As if a Shield reunion wasn't enough to inspire some writing out of you."

"I've retired," she said. "Or gone on a hiatus, better said. As long as I'm signed with WWE, I can't write about anyone. Renee said that's why they went after me so bad, well that and not having spent years in NXT, which wasn't my fault, anyway."

"Nooooo...you can't stop writing! You've got a gift. Aside from your filthy mind, you're a great writer! I've read a lot of fan fiction, and you're one of the few who writes like a real author."

"I do write stuff other than fan fiction. Novels, short stories, poetry, songs. I've never tried to publish, because I know I need an agent, and I don't want to get scammed. I did enter a poem into a contest once, and it made it to the finals, and it got published in a three anthologies. The people I've shared my work with really enjoy it, it's been a hobby of mine for a long time. The fan fiction genre is newer to me, just within the past three years, give or take. At first it was a challenge, writing about characters that had already been created and developed, but once I got past that first story, I started spitting them out like holy rollers have kids."

Seth laughed. "I'd love to read your other stuff, too."

"I'll send you some. I'll admit I put extra effort into your stories after hearing that you read fan fiction, even though it disgusted you. I guess I was hoping you'd read mine, no matter how remote the possibility, because there's so much of it about you. I really grew to enjoy writing about you, whether you were Tyler Black or Seth Rollins."

"I've read them all, not just the ones with me in them. Don't stop, Kimber. Make a new profile with a fake name. Do not deprive the world of your gift." He kissed her again, and this time, he did slip her just a little tongue. "I mean it. You don't know how much I've missed your updates."

"I'll think about it." Kimber rested her head on his chest, and twirled one of his curly locks around her fingers.

"Please, for your amazing boyfriend?"

"I would do _anything_ for my guy." She reached up and stroked his beard.

"I know. I have the sweetest, most incredible girl in the world."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 – Beginnings and Endings**

Kimber knew that _RAW_ in Vegas was supposed to feel special for the fans, and she was delighted she would be taking part in the show. It was decided after Jeff was injured that she would be working alongside Matt, until he was able to become "Woken" Matt Hardy. Working with Matt allowed for her to revert back towards her roots, doing high-risk maneuvers, valuable practice for her upcoming ladder match. She was essentially taking the place of Jeff as the high-flying, risk-taking, dare devil. She got change her ring attire, too, for stuff like she'd always worn as a singles competitor. She also had a tag team match with Mickie James, versus Dana Brooke and Tamina. Unfortunately, it would also give her a loss, her very first since signing with WWE, but at least she wouldn't be the one getting pinned. She would also be appearing in a locker room segment with the other ladder match competitors. Lots of screen time for her tonight! Not Seth back in 2015, when his appearances totaled roughly a third or more of _RAW,_ but it was definitely one hell of a huge push.

Seth gotten up very early to go work out with Dean, so she joined Renee, doing prenatal yoga (even though she felt dumb doing it, because she wasn't pregnant, it was still technically a workout) in the gym downstairs, where her boyfriend and Renee's husband had first rekindled their romance. And she didn't have a clue. Kimber felt bad about that, enabling Dean to cheat on his wife with Seth. Renee was sweeter than a box of Peeps, curious about her new friend's poly lifestyle, and seemed to be open-minded, but Kimber didn't know her well enough to even hint at the subject of her husband being involved with his Shield brother, she didn't know how Renee would react. At any rate, her relationship with Seth was confusing enough, and she ought to sort that out before getting involved in other people's business.

After yoga, Kimber told Renee she'd like to go for a run, and if she wasn't back in two hours, send a search party. Dean and Seth passed her in the long driveway, driving in as she was jogging out. "Run, Forrest, run!" Dean shouted. "Run, Forrest!"

Kimber smiled and flipped him the bird, and kept jogging. As she turned out on to the road, she began to brood. She wasn't sure her relationship with Seth was a facade anymore, or if it ever was to begin with. She still didn't know if she had romantic feelings for him, though she knew she cared about him deeply, enjoyed spending time with him, and felt very comfortable with him, and had from day, or night if you will, one. She was very turned on by his bisexuality, and he indeed was, as he'd said in the shower yesterday morning, sexy as fuck. But, she didn't know if they'd ever take it to a truly sexual level. Hell, they'd slept together naked last night, just cuddled and slept, just like they did every night. But, if their relationship was just for the public, why were they sleeping and showering together? Why did he kiss her in private, when they were alone? Did he have romantic feelings for her? Maybe. He'd admired her in the indies, had even implied he was a fan of hers. He had admitted to being a huge fan of her fan fiction. He held her, kissed her, washed her back. They'd cried in each others arms. And, he was the one who'd declared them to be in a relationship on social media. They were long overdue for a talk about this, because not knowing where things could go was driving her nuts.

The only thing she was sure about her relationship with Seth, whatever it was, it was doing tons for her WWE career. She was accepted, if not respected, by almost everyone, with the exception of the Real Sorority, of course. She knew her huge push, Money in the Bank, the title next month, a lengthy reign as queen of the world, was almost all because of her relationship. Had she not been dating Seth Freakin' Rollins, no one would have cared about her, she'd have probably been jobbed out like Sami Zayn, despite having the total package WWE looks for in their talent. She could wrestle and talk. She had charisma, and was very attractive, though in a non-traditional way, with all of her tattoos and her long, often messed-up hair. It could not be denied that she was very respected in the indies, and that she had contributed greatly to the industry. But, none of that mattered now. The Real Sorority had been right about that, though they'd been wrong about fucking one of the top men in the company didn't make her shit. Kimber knew it made a lot of doors open, and no matter how she got her push, she was going to do her damnedest to stay at the top.

When she returned from her run, Seth was taking a nap. So, she got in the shower, then went off in search of something to eat. Dean and Renee were gone. Kimber got a hard-boiled egg and some mixed greens and made a salad. Her boyfriend came in to the kitchen just as she'd finished, and gave her a hug and a kiss.

"Hey dreamer." She tousled his hair.

"Mornin' dream girl." He went to get a glass of water, and joined her at the counter.

"How awake are you?"

"Fully."

"Good, because we need to talk."

"Uh-oh."

She put her hand on his thigh. "No, babe, it's not bad. I'm getting this huge push, to the freaking moon, because of our relationship. I'm confused, because even though we started this off almost like a joke on the world, you treat me the same way when we're alone as you do in public."

Seth blushed. "It's...it's not a joke to me, Kimber. And, I hope it's not for you, either, because...because I...you know...I like you. I feel very proud to call you my girlfriend, and when you call me your boyfriend, it makes...my heart race. I want it to be real."

Knowing what his feelings were about her made it okay for her to acknowledge hers. She _did_ like him. She had a level of comfort with him she'd enjoyed with few others. As Raven had said, the chemistry between them was too strong to deny, and as the world said, they made a beautiful couple. "Me too," she replied, but she was overcome with emotion, and it was barely a whisper.

He'd heard her, though, and audibly sighed with relief. "Then it's official. I'm yours."

"And Dean's," Kimber added.

Seth smiled. "And Dean's," he agreed. "Wait here, I have a surprise for you."

He dashed away, and came back quickly with a small white box with the name of a jeweler on it. Kimber's heart skipped a beat, as it always did whenever one of her partners had whipped out a box like that. "I went with Dean to get Renee a just-because gift, and when I saw this, I kept thinking of you." He handed her the box.

She opened it. Inside the box was a white gold necklace, with a deep blue crystal pendant shaped like a heart, held in place by what looked like white gold waves, studded in smaller diamond-like crystals. She picked it up out of the box, and the crystal sparkled in the light from the windows, seeming to shoot cool blue rays. "Oh, Seth, I don't know what to say. It's beautiful...no, that's too weak of a word, it's exquisite. Fuck, I'm going to cry."

He smiled and took the necklace from her and fastened it around her neck. "It's a modern take on the heart of the ocean necklace from _Titanic._ Swarovski crystals. I'm happy you like it."

"I _love_ it!" She jumped up and into his arms, like she had after her very first match on _RAW._ Only this time, they were kissing, and Seth carried her into the den, and sat down on the couch. He never let her go. For the first time, they were making out, and she could feel his hard-on pressed against her crotch through their layers of clothing. Seth was a wonderful kisser, and-

"Hey, I thought that's why we gave you a room!" Dean teased.

"Dean!" Renee scolded. "Sorry for killing the moment," she apologized to Kimber and Seth. "Feel free to continue. Dean, come on, we need to get ready to go to the arena."

Dean smiled and winked at Seth before following his wife.

"We need to get ready, too," Kimber said, and gave her man a final kiss before getting off of his lap.

At the arena, Kimber and Seth parted with a kiss before the locker rooms, as usual. Alexa was standing outside, waiting, hands on hips, face scrunched up in anger. She waited for Seth to enter the men's locker room before opening her mouth.

"Remember your first night here, when you implied that I earned my push on my back? Don't you feel like a hypocrite now? I hope you lose your man and your push in the brand split."

"Seth and I will be a couple whether we end up on the same show or not. And, I hope you're drafted back to NXT, maybe this time around you'll learn to wrestle. I'm taking the top spot on the women's roster not because of Seth, but because I'm better than you in every way possible." Kimber titled her head arrogantly, and went into the locker room.

Alexa followed, even when she went around shaking hands, and to her surprise, everyone shook hers. "You? Better than me? Oh, I don't think so, bitch."

"I do. And evidently, so do the higher ups." Kimber unzipped her bag, and pulled out her ring attire. "So, go fuck yourself and your illusions of grandeur." The other occupants of the locker room just watched, not taking her side, but not protecting Alexa, either.

"They're really going to love that slutty hickey on your shoulder there. Now you have two tramp stamps, you're double the whore you were before."

"Nobody's going to see it, you stupid cunt. Unlike you, I don't have to dress like a slutty Punky Brewster in the ring to get pops."

"Pops? I'll pop you right in your fucking face."

"Pixie bitch, I'd like to see you try." Kimber replied in a dead-pan voice as she pulled on the new black, baggy cargo capris she'd bought while shopping with Renee. "Why don't you quit yipping like a fucking chihuahua and do something?"

"Nia." Alexa called.

Nia shook her head. "I'm missing _Money in the Bank_ because of this shit. I'm done."

"Are you fucking kidding me? You're just fine with this bitch here, this perverted freak, earning her push on her back and disrespecting us?" Alexa demanded.

"Oh, shut the hell up, Alexa." Natalya rolled her eyes. "Move on."

"Move on? I most certainly will not move on from this! This lacks all sense of fairness and-"

Mickie approached her, and put an arm around her. "Alexa, just let it go. You're-"

"Don't touch me, you dried-up old bitch!" Alexa shoved Mickie away, then slapped her in the face. The older woman was on her in an instant, beating the living daylights out of her.

"As I was saying," Mickie said. "You're making a fool out of yourself." She let the champ go, with a final push to the floor.

Alexa held her face, and looked about in disbelief. "What the fuck is wrong with you people? All of the sudden, that bitch is your best friend? Really?"

Natalya stepped forward, right up to Alexa. "No, she's not. But she's worthy of our respect, and I'm going to give her that respect."

The other women nodded, and Kimber relaxed. It seemed the Real Sorority had disbanded.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 – Miss Money in the Bank**

Kimber and Seth arrived in San Diego on Friday night. On Saturday, she accompanied him to an interview, and he accompanied her to an autograph signing at a Toys 'R Us with Braun Strowman, which was a thrilling surprise for the fans. Kimber laughed when she overheard a teen guy say he was glad to meet Seth, because he wasn't really an asshole like everyone said. And he wasn't an asshole that day, he smiled and posed and signed everything put before him, even made a little small talk, aided by his fan-loving girlfriend. Saturday night, they went to the NXT _Takeover_ show. Dean showed up, too, and Kimber slipped outside to give them a chance of finding some alone time. She called Raven.

"Hey love!" Raven greeted gustily. "I saw the latest Kimbrollins pics."

"Ugh, don't call us that, babe."

"I think it's cute. Where did you get that necklace you were wearing at that autograph signing? It's beautiful!"

"From Seth. He went to a jewelry store with Dean, to get Renee something, he ended up getting her a crystal heart pendant, too, but hers is pink. Seth said he thought of me when he saw it, so he bought it for me. The sales girl told him it was a modern take on the heart of the ocean necklace from _Titanic._ "

"Oooh, an expensive gift. Sounds serious," Raven teased.

"It probably wasn't more than a couple hundred. Plus, I bought him a few things when I went shopping with Renee in Vegas."

"Oh yeah? What did you buy him?"

"Clothes. A shirt, a pair of jeans, the casual suit he's wearing right now, and socks."

Raven giggled. "Socks?"

"Well, I do our laundry, and I noticed they were getting worn out. When he drinks, he likes to take his shoes off, even if we're in a bar or restaurant. In fact, we're at the _Takeover_ after party right now, and I'm willing to bet he's already got his shoes off," Kimber said, and giggled. "I chastised him for it last time."

"Fuck, you guys are adorable, like Dean and Renee."

"Or Dean and Seth. I stepped out to give them some alone time."

"What am I ever going to do with you? Here you've got a sexy, rich, famous man who buys you expensive jewelry, washes your back in the shower, cuddles with you every night, who calls you darling and tells the world how wonderful you are-"

" _I_ call _him_ 'darling'," Kimber corrected.

"It doesn't matter what you call him!" Raven managed to pull off a great impersonation of the Rock, and she and Kimber laughed and laughed before Raven cleared her throat, and continued. "Point is, you've caught the heart of a good man and you want to turn him. Face the facts, Brit, your boyfriend is straight. He may have made all of that Cyberfights stuff, but that's just making money."

"Honey, I've always told you your guy gaydar is broke as fuck. You didn't even want to believe me back in the day when I told you about which of the guys we were working with were on the down low."

"Well, I still say Seth is not."

"Raven-honey, trust me, he's bi."

"Whatever you say, love. Either way, I'm looking forward to meeting him in a couple weeks. I wish I could have come down to the show, I can't believe you're going to be Miss Money in the Bank _._ I'm so proud of you, Brit. I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

"Now get back inside to your man," Raven laughed.

Dean was a bad influence on Seth, who was shitfaced by the time the party started to break up. At least the after party was in the same hotel where everyone was staying, and Dean, who was also pretty intoxicated, insisted on helping Kimber get their boyfriend up to his room. So, she, who had dared not drink the night before the most important event in her career so far, led the blind, so to speak. The lovers stumbled along slowly behind her, sometimes leaning on the wall for support, but always leaning on each other. Despite their condition, Kimber still thought they were the cutest couple ever, and she found herself walking backwards often, just to see them and smile.

In the room, Kimber at last had a chance to be a fly on the wall, albeit a proverbial one, but Seth was so drunk he passed out pretty much the moment his head hit the pillow, so Dean just kissed him, and stroked his hair before giving Kimber a hug.

"Thank you," he said. "Miss Money in the Bank," he added, and smiled.

"Don't curse me. I've noticed the big boss likes to change things up at the last second. Tomorrow, if the booking stays true, you can call me that."

The booking stayed true. At the end of the match which she'd shone as the star in, being in an environment that was natural to her, she was in the center of the ring on her knees, beside the ladder she'd just climbed, clutching the shining silver briefcase and staring at it in delight and disbelief. She was exhausted, she was in pain, and she'd had a minor botch, so Naomi couldn't cushion her dive, and she landed on her back on a ladder, but none of that mattered. It was her moment, her match. She had even gotten the crowd to chant "this is awesome", "let's go Kimber" (and no one followed it up with "Kimber sucks"), and "holy shit"...twice! And they were chanting for her now "you deserve it". She got up, and the ref raised her hand, and she was announced as _the winner, Miss Money in the Bank, Kimber!_ She posed proudly with her prize for the cameras, not bothering to hide her happy tears. She remembered to call out Alexa, who was sitting on commentary, with the lines she was told to say. " _You'd better watch your back, Alexa Bliss! I can cash this in anytime!"_ She held up the briefcase, and smacked it a few times to drive her point across.

Alexa stood up and shook her head. _"Anytime any place, Kimber, I'll still beat you!"_

And Kimber shook hers, and pointed to the women's championship over her enemy's shoulder. _"That's mine! Just a matter of time, and your reign of terror will be over, Bliss!"_

Playing her part, Alexa got up and walked to the back, looking over her shoulder for any signs of Kimber following. _"Yeah! Run away scared, just like you always do! But you can't run from me!"_ Kimber shouted. Fuck, she hated those stupid WWE scripts sometimes. She would have chosen far more powerful words. She stayed in the ring celebrating awhile longer, then headed to the back, regretful that the construction of the ramp did not allow for her to make contact with those who cheered her without leaving it from a height, which would make for an awkward exit.

Instead, she went back past the screens, and her proud boyfriend awaited her on the other side. He threw his arms open, she jumped into them, he held her, and they kissed and kissed while Alexa looked on in disgust. But, their loving celebration was short-lived, because Seth's match was next. He set her down, and gave her another quick kiss before taking off down the ramp.

"You'd be nothing if not for him," Alexa informed Kimber, as she followed her to her usual watching spot.

"If you actually bothered to pay attention to the industry you're working in, you'd know that I was actually a pretty big someone before I signed here. And, it's all because of you and your stupid Real Sorority that I met him in the first place, so you can thank yourself for that one," Kimber replied, as both women looked at her boyfriend in the ring. He'd just taken his shirt off.

"He was supposed to hate you, just like everyone else does," Alexa spat.

"Face it, doll, I'm hard to hate." Kimber gave her the most arrogant look she had in her arsenal.

"I've hated you since day fucking one, and believe me, I don't find it hard at all. I'm always going to hate you, Kimber ass-licker."

"And I'm always going to pity you."

 _"Pity_ me?"

"Yes. You can't wrestle, you don't even know anything about wrestling, and you're a bitter person filled with jealousy and hate. For all those things and more, I pity you, because until you let go of that hate and want, you'll never be happy. She was happy to see the twinge of pain cross Alexa's spray-tanned face, and shifted her attention back to the match.

"I'm not through with you. I'm going to make every day of the rest of your life that proverbial living hell," Alexa promised.

Kimber just smiled, rolled her eyes, shook her head, and made a shooing motion.

At the after party, she dodged a bullet, thanks to Mustafa Ali. She had made the mistake of turning her back on her drink while talking to Mickie. Lucky for her, Mustafa was watching from across the room, and came running the moment she picked up the glass, and just before she got it to her lips, he shoved it out of her hand, and the seven-and-seven splashed all over her briefcase.

"Hey, what the hell?"

"I just saw Alexa pour something from a bottle into your drink," Mustafa explained.

"Holy fuck, she's trying to drug me?"

"It sure looked that way. I'm going to tell the boss."

Kimber grabbed her briefcase and went with Mustafa to the private room, where sat all of the McMahons, the Legends, and other important people, and walked right up to Hunter, who seemed a little amused, and peeved, that they'd intruded.

"Alexa just poured something from a bottle into Kimber's drink, Sir." Mustafa didn't wait to be addressed. "I saw her do it, and kept her from drinking it."

"Yes he did, it's all over my Money in the Bank." Kimber held it up. "Thank you," she said to the cruiser weight. "My hero."

"I'll deal with this right away," Hunter promised, and led Mustafa and Kimber out. "Wonderful match tonight, by the way, Kimber. We are proud to have you as the holder of that briefcase."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Did anyone else see her do it?" He asked Mustafa.

"I don't know, Sir. I can go ask-"

"No, don't worry about it. I want you two with me right now." He stopped, and began looking around, finally spotting Alexa at the bar, flirting with Seth, or at least trying to. Kimber could see he wasn't happy, and why would he be, after all she'd done to hurt his girl? She and Mustafa followed Hunter over.

"Hey, Hunter-" Seth began.

His boss and former lover held up his hand. "Alexa, follow me."

Seth shot Kimber a confused look, and she mouthed _Later._ She and her hero of the night followed their boss and Alexa out of the party room, and down the hallway until he was satisfied the foursome was alone.

"Alexa, what did you put in her drink?" Hunter asked.

"I didn't put anything in her drink!" Alexa claimed.

"I _saw_ you do it!" Mustafa snapped.

"Mustafa," Hunter said gently, before turning back to the women's champion. "I already know you put something in her drink. Now tell me what it was. You know we have a zero tolerance policy on drugs here."

"It was a laxative," Alexa said, and reached into her pocket to produce the bottle. "It was just a prank. I wasn't trying to kill her or make her fail a random drug screen, not like she wouldn't fail anyway. I just wanted to make her, you know, have an accident in front of everyone."

Hunter turned the bottle over in his hand. His face and neck were very red, and Kimber could clearly see it was out of anger. Had Alexa been a man, the boss may have reacted physically. Instead, he took a few deep breaths before speaking.

"Alexa, as of now, you are suspended indefinitely. Give me that title, go upstairs, pack your things, and get out of here."

"What? For a stupid _prank?_ You've got to be kidding me-"

"Do I look like I'm kidding? Give me your belt, now." Hunter ordered.

Alexa handed it over, shaking her head slowly, like she couldn't believe it was happening.

"Now get out. I want you out of this hotel in ten minutes, or I'll have security put you out."

Alexa took off.

"Thank you, Mustafa. I'm sorry this happened, Kimber."

"It's okay, Sir. Thanks to him, I didn't drink any of it."

"Still, that was just wrong. Stuff like that has no place in our company. Have a good night, you two."

"Goodnight," Kimber and Mustafa replied.

Seth was waiting down the hall, and Kimber hurried over to hug him. "Alexa's suspended," she whispered in his ear. "Indefinitely."

"It's about fucking time," he replied. "Hey, Mustafa."

"Hey."

"Let's get upstairs before the news hits," Seth suggested. "I'm done here, anyway."

"Me too," Kimber said, and gave him a kiss. "Thanks again," she told Mustafa.

"No problem. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," the couple replied, and as they walked over to the elevators. Kimber began relaying to Seth what he'd missed while playing pinball.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 – Another Monday Night** _ **RAW**_

Just before Kimber fell asleep, she realized that Alexa's suspension was a bad thing for her. A really bad thing. It had been planned that she would cash in Money in the Bank at _SummerSlam,_ on Alexa. Now the title was vacant, there was nobody for her to cash in on. She could be Miss Money in the Bank forever, with no glory of cashing it in at a big pay per view. And, worse yet, what if they booked her to lose when she did cash it in? Burial!

"Oh, fuck," she moaned, and the tears came. She tried to be quiet, so as not to wake Seth, but he was already awake.

He sat up and held her and stroked her back. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Everything!" Kimber wailed. "I should have stopped Mustafa from telling Hunter. Now my booking is totally fucked! I can't cash in Money in the Bank without someone to cash it in on!"

"Shhhh..." Her loving boyfriend soothed. "Everything will be fine. They'll hold some kind of tournament or maybe even have a battle royal to crown a new champion-"

"Which I won't be part of. Fuck, Seth, what if they bury me?"

"That's not going to happen. You know how close I am with Hunter and Steph, and they believe in you. What happened tonight was in no way your fault, and they're not going to punish you for it." Seth stroked her braid.

"But I _am_ being punished. Without a champion, my Money in the Bank is meaningless. I won't be in the tournament, or battle royal, or whatever they do to put the belt on someone. Just what the hell am I going to do?"

"They'll find something for you to do. You're too valuable. You'll still be working with Matt, too."

"Oh, I don't know... Look at how many other 'valuable' people they've let slip away, or booked into a dark abyss."

"Kimber, I promise that won't be you." He smiled, and sat up straighter. "Let's do some fantasy booking. I think they will have a tournament to put the title on someone, with the final match to take place at _SummerSlam._ They could very well have you cash it in during that match to turn it into a three-way, like I did at _Wrestlemania._ I could see a Bayley versus Natalya versus a surprise you."

"I don't know if they do that, it seems kind of...lame to repeat something that was so awesome when you did it." Kimber sighed hopelessly.

"They love repeating the past. It's nostalgic." Seth gave her a squeeze. "In the meantime, you'll keep working with Matt and do interviews and backstage segments, sit on commentary for the tournament matches, and maybe they'll even give you your own Miz TV thing."

She almost smiled. "Kimber's Korner, corner spelled with a K."

"Yes! Now you're getting it. They also love _some_ of the real-life relationships between their talent, and ours is one of them. They might put us in a story line together, or even make you the first female member of the Shield."

"You really think so? I'd love to work with you, darling, even if it does mean wearing that tactical shit." It was true. One of the many things she admired about her guy was his talent in the ring, and the chemistry between them was undeniable. How could WWE not do it?

"And, I'm expecting we'll be contacted to appear in the next season of _Total Divas."_

Kimber rolled her eyes. "We are _not_ doing that."

Seth smiled. "One more reason why I love you."

"Thank goodness we're in agreement on that." _Wait...did he just say he loved me?_

"Everything will be fine, sweetheart, I promise. Let's get some sleep." He kissed her goodnight, and they got back under the covers. Apparently, the _I love you_ had been a mere slip.

 _RAW_ opened with a promo by Stephanie, the vacated women's title sitting on a black podium in the middle of the ring. She explained that Alexa had been stripped of the women's championship and suspended indefinitely for actions detrimental to sports entertainment, though she did not say what those actions were. Rumors had already hit social media, however, and it was known it had something to do with Kimber. Stephanie didn't mention that, either, but she called out the women's roster to come down to the ring. They did, with the exception of Kimber, and the boss announced there would be a tournament to crown a new women's champion, with the final match to take place at _SummerSlam._ The matches to determine the final two started tonight. The women began squabbling among themselves.

Cue Kimber's music, and she walked out, in a pair of ripped jeans and a Hardy Boyz shirt, complete with leather and steel jewelry, with briefcase and microphone, and the other women stopped to look at her. When the applause died, she lifted the mic to her mouth. "Good evening, ladies. I just wanted to come out here tonight and wish you all luck." Spoken with strong hint of sarcasm, and followed a short laugh. "But honestly, it doesn't matter who wins the tournament, because _I_ am the future of the women's division." She held up the briefcase. "Whichever one of you wins at _SummerSlam_ might not even have that title long enough to get your plates put on it. You've seen what I'm capable of in the ring, and not one of you can even come close to doing anything like that."

The expressions on the women's faces changed into surprise, and anticipation, and the crowd began to cheer, and Kimber slowly turned around to face a returning Bayley, in brand-new black ring attire without a ponytail. With her dark hair down, the angles of her face were softened into loving curves. Bayley was not merely cute, she was beautiful.

"I can," Bayley said. "Congratulations on winning Money in the Bank, by the way, and nice to meet you."

"Thank you, nice to meet you, too," Kimber replied, amicably. "How about a hug?"

Bayley smiled and gave her a quick hug. "But, back to my point. I can do everything you can do, Kimber. And, I can do it better."

Earlier, she and Bayley had laughed over the script, thinking it would come off sounding corny as hell, like a version of that old childhood song. But it didn't.

"Oh, I don't know about that, Bayley. Don't take this wrong, because I have nothing but the greatest respect for you, but I don't think you can beat me. I'm the future of the women's division." Kimber proudly patted her briefcase.

"Only one way to find out." She turned towards the boss. "Can Kimber and I have a match tonight?" Kimber nodded eagerly.

Stephanie turned towards the crowd. "What do you say, LA? Should Bayley and Kimber have a match right here, tonight on _Monday Night RAW?_ " Of course the audience wanted to see that. "Okay, you got it. Bayley, Kimber, you get your match. And, it starts _right now!"_

With Bayley, Kimber put on the best singles match she'd had since signing with WWE, even though she lost, she knew it was no burial, they had both looked great, and it gave Bayley the momentum she needed for her return and new look. She knew she had made a friend before they'd even begun the show and got to talking in the locker room. They were close in skill level, but Kimber knew she was just a little bit better, and Bayley admitted it as well. She was good friends with Seth, and like Seth, Bayley had admired her in the indies, and also read and enjoyed her fan fiction. Like everyone else, she thought it cute that Kimber was dating Seth, and was relieved that her friend was finally happy again, after having been so mopey for months. Kimber wondered if Bayley knew about Dean and Seth being on the down low. She guessed not.

Later that night, Kimber and Seth were in bed, naked as usual, and talking about their nights, as their schedules had kept them apart the whole show, aside from the brief connection they'd had after her match.

"So, what did you think about me and Bayley?"

Seth blushed. "Well, to be honest, I didn't see your match. Dean and I found a quiet spot, and I lost track of time. I didn't know it was over until I heard Bayley's new music."

Kimber was torn between being upset that her boyfriend had missed her match, and curious about what he'd gotten up to with Dean. But, due to PMS, the upset side won. "You missed it?" She couldn't keep the hurt out of her voice.

"I'm sorry, babe. I'll watch it right now." He reached for his laptop.

"Don't worry about it. It's not important."

"Yes it is. You wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important to you."

Kimber shrugged. "No, it's not. I have to pee," she lied, and got out of bed and shut herself in the bathroom. She didn't feel in control of her emotions at the moment, so it was best to stay in isolation. She sat down on the floor, drew her knees up to her chest and encircled them with her arms. She laid her head down on her knees and closed her eyes, and hoped that the tempest of anger would soon pass. Often, she wished she could just go off into a cave somewhere and hibernate like a bear once a month, the week and a half before her period came. She hated feeling the way she did now. Depressed, rejected, tired on every single level (though her two big matches in the last two days probably added to that), and utterly without a hope in the world. She knew she would feel better in a couple of days, possibly as soon as tomorrow, when the cardinal finally flew in, but that was of no comfort to her tonight.

Eventually, there was a knock on the door. "Kimber, sweetie, are you alright?"

She didn't know how to respond to that. "I don't know."

"Can I come in?"

Kimber wanted to reply: _Have you ever asked before?,_ the PMS monster talking. Instead, she gave a diluted: "I don't care" followed by a sigh.

Seth came in, and sat down beside her. "It's warm in here," he commented. "Babe, I'm sorry I missed your match. I knew it was a big one for you. I fucked up. I was being selfish."

"No, Seth. I was out of line." She had to fight the embarrassment and tell him about her severe PMS, maybe he would even understand, some guys did. "I don't have good control of my emotions right now. I get PMS really, really bad, and because I'm close to starting, it's at the worst point. I'll be okay again in a couple of days, but until then, take whatever I say with a grain of salt."

He gave her a hug. "Understood. But, I was still an asshole to miss your match, and after watching it, I'm kicking myself for missing it live."

"There will be others," Kimber said, simply, and kissed him. "And, I can't expect you to watch all of my matches anyway. Now, tell me about what you did with Dean."

Seth laughed, and blushed. "Let's go back to bed. I'll rub your back for once and tell you all about it."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 – The Demoness of Darkness Meets the Architect of the Shield**

She had told Seth she didn't think Raven's reaction to meeting him would be anything as extravagantly funny as Marek's to meeting Kimber, but she was wrong. At the airport, she hurried out of what she called her "show car", a pristine bronze 1984 Buick Regal, with an excited scream. She totally forgot about her wife as she gaped at Seth with huge brown eyes, her hands clutching at her face, knees shaking, hair gone awry. Babbling in a gush, Raven had gone total Shield fan girl, and Kimber regretted not documenting the moment on video. Instead, she sat down on the curb and reunited with Ari, who was thrilled to see her other mommy after such a long time. Kimber wondered how five weeks felt to a dog as she hugged her little black pug. For Kimber, they had been the fastest five weeks of her life, she'd been so busy.

Suddenly, Raven was quiet, and Kimber knew she'd realized she'd been acting like a complete ass hat, and was now kicking herself for it. Though Kimber had never had to do so before, since all of her previous partners had been people Raven had already known, she was surprised it didn't feel awkward to formally introduce them to each other. She rose, with Ari in her arms, and gave her wife a kiss. "Raven-honey, this is Seth Rollins, the Architect, the Kingslayer, and the most wonderful boyfriend in the world. Seth darling, this is Raven McCallister, the Demoness, the Alpha Dog, my lovely wife."

Raven, her usually pale cheeks gone flaming red, shook Seth's hand, and she nearly fell over when Seth brought her hand to his lips. "Charmed, Mrs. McCallister. And, speaking of alpha dogs, who's this?" He turned to Kimber and Ari, and offered his hand. After sniffing it, the dog licked it, thus giving him the approval to pet her.

"This is Ari," Kimber said.

"I can't tell you how mind-blowing this is to me," Raven admitted.

"Honey, I think we've seen it," Kimber replied, and handed Ari off to Seth so she could pick up her briefcase and hand it off to Raven. "And this is Money in the Bank."

"It's beautiful! And, so prestigious!" She declared, and struck a pose with it as if it were hers. "How do I look?"

"Like the future of the women's division," Kimber replied, and giggled. She'd been saying it in just about every interview or promo she did, it was beginning to seem like her catch phrase. She guessed it probably was, though at least it didn't appear anywhere on her soon-to-be-available merchandise. Thinking of merch reminded her of the t-shirt she'd managed to acquire. "Open it, there's something inside for you."

Raven opened the briefcase, and pulled out the black t-shirt inside. It had a fancy, gray letter K that looked eerily close to a Hardy Boyz or Roman Reigns logo, with a red glitter heart surrounding it. On the back was printed _Here...where I belong._ "Oh fuck, baby! You've finally got merchandise! And, it's cool, too. I can't wait to wear it!"

Kimber gave her best girl her best hug. "I've missed you, my love."

Raven kissed her. "I know, Brit-honey. I've missed you, too. Come on, we should get back to the house. I wish this visit was longer than just a few hours." The timing of Kimber and Seth's visit had been both a good thing and a bad thing. Raven's protege, and kayfabe baby brother, Bryan Castillo, who had taken the ring name of Bryan McCallister, with "big sister's" blessing, had a tryout in Japan, and they were flying out that afternoon. Kimber's being in town made it possible for Raven to go, because she could be at the school while Chad went to the gym to teach crossfit. She was eager to see the progress their students had made, and they were probably dying to meet Seth.

"Me too, but I'm so excited for Bryan, and you. I mean, I just want to cry, I'm so proud of him, of us."

"Don't cry, get in the car, I want to at least have lunch together before Bryan and I leave. He's going to join us for lunch, too."

Kimber sat in the back seat, to let her boyfriend have the best possible view of Arcata. Raven drove them through the historical downtown area, and Seth was charmed by the old mining town feel of it, and amused by the wide variety of people milling about in the town square. The delight on his face was like that of a boy at Universal Studios, and she reached down the back of the seat to hold him. She knew that seeing northern California for the first time was something special, like falling in love, and she could still remember the first time she'd driven into it, through the mountains, from Reno. She would never forget it. It had only been a vacation, but both she and Raven had cried their eyes out when they had to leave, because they'd felt like they were already home. Now, several years later, it was home.

Raven drove into their neighborhood, full of huge Victorian gingerbread houses, the original high-class area, and drove up the driveway to the biggest one, theirs. It was three stories tall, not counting the attic, and even had a turret. The main color was the darkest blue their neighborhood association would allow, white woodwork, and small golden details.

"Home sweet home," Raven declared.

"It's...stunning," Seth said in awe. "I've always loved Victorian houses."

"And ours is more or less still the original floor plan, so it's got like a million rooms," Kimber added.

"I'll bet, it's huge!"

"I hate to ditch you guys right away, but I need to pick up Bryan. I've got white chili in the crock pot, so don't worry about cooking anything, babe. We'll eat as soon as I get back with Bryan." Raven gave Kimber a big hug and a kiss. "Do you have your keys?"

Kimber fished in her purse, and brought them out and jingled them by her old rectangular key chain. It said _Want to get laid? Crawl up a chicken's ass and wait!"_ She'd had it since her fifteenth summer, when she'd bought it in a novelty shop up in Wisconsin Dells on a family vacation. It was so hilarious to her she couldn't help herself, even though her parents didn't find it funny.

"Okay, I will leave you to give him the grand tour. I'll be back with Bryan." One more kiss from Raven to Kimber, and she got back in the car and left.

Kimber led Seth up the steps and on to the enormous white porch. "So where would you like to start?"

"Wherever I'm supposed to put these," Seth replied, and nodded at the bags in his arms.

She giggled and unlocked the door before taking her briefcase and suitcase from the load. "Follow me, darling." She led her man all the way upstairs to the third floor, and down the narrow hallway to a set of double doors at the end, and set her things down to open them with a flourish. "Casa Kimber!" She announced, upon revealing her large, very personal, bedroom. Raven had often told her it looked like a teenager's room, and she was right. Everywhere, on the walls, on the dressers, and on her makeup table, there were pictures of her family, friends, wrestlers she'd worked with, Raven, and herself. Nothing else decorative. Her bed was queen-size, and the bed frame did not match her dressers. The TV was a modest twenty-seven inches, and a great many of the DVDs and blue rays in its stand were cartoons.

"I thought you and Raven would have shared a room."

"We do sometimes, hers. She doesn't like my room. If you don't like it, there are others we can use. But the only other one that has its own bathroom, besides Raven's room, is the one that Raven's other partners use while they're here."

"I like it," Seth said, as he picked up a framed picture of her parents, her sister, and herself at her sister's college graduation. "It's like a window into your life. Is this what I think it is?" He laughed, and pointed to a picture stuck in the frame of the mirror.

She knew which one it was, but she came over anyway. "Yup, shameless Shield cosplay." She took the picture down and handed to him. "Is that the face of a happy woman, or what?"

"No, I can tell exactly what you're thinking there. You're thinking: I'm only doing this because I have to. I know I look completely asinine..." Seth laughed and laughed. "Just...just look! Standing there with your fist out...that blonde hairpiece...oh, fuck!"

Kimber looked at the picture. Yes, he'd said exactly what she'd been thinking at the time the picture was taken. It was the first night they'd done that gimmick, and Raven just had to get a picture of them before the match. "It's not that funny."

"Yes it is! You do look hot in that tactical gear, though. And you know what that means..."

"What?"

"Power bomb!" He scooped her up as she squealed in fake protest, and tossed her on to the bed, then kissed her very passionately, and very deliberately pressed his clothing-imprisoned hard on between her legs, and it felt so good she couldn't keep a small moan from escaping her lips as he kissed, bit, and sucked on her neck. She took his left hand and placed it on her right breast and he caressed it as he thrust against her again. "Oh, Kimber..." he sighed, and locked his lips down on hers. His thumb sought her nipple, and stroked it through the thin fabrics of her t-shirt and simple cotton bra, and she stifled another moan in her throat.

Just as she was about to grope him, the dinner bell rang, and Seth sat up and looked around. "What was that?"

"The dinner bell," Kimber replied, as she smoothed her hair. "Yes, we have one of those. It means Raven and Bryan are here, it's time to eat. Funny I was supposed to be showing you the house, and we didn't get further than my bedroom."

Seth grinned, and kissed her again. "I couldn't help it. I just got so turned on seeing you in tactical gear."

"You can't even say it with a straight face!" Kimber teased, and they both started laughing all over again.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 – The School, the Park, and Other Things**

After dropping off Raven and Bryan at the airport, Kimber drove Seth to her wrestling school, though she really wanted to go back home and pick up where they'd been interrupted, he really wanted to see D&D. Even though they'd be going up there after dinner, he wanted to check it out beforehand and see Chad. They had met once, many years ago, when they were both trying out for TNA. Neither of them had been signed.

Kimber pulled up to her school in the strip mall, and smiled at Seth, and at Ari, who was sitting patiently in his lap. After seeing his school, she'd had a lot of doubts about her own, but despite the small size, it was still something to be proud of. What had once been two separate things, a laundromat and a nail salon, were now combined. The sign over the old nail salon was rectangular, purple, and black. _Demoness & Duchess Wrestling School, _it said, along with black silhouettes of two women, presumably Raven and Kimber. At night, the sign lit up. To the right was the Emerald Triangle Gym, who was robbing D&D blind for use of the gym for fifteen people at the most, and to the left was the other, bigger part of the school. It was a full story taller than the rest of the strip mall, necessary to accommodate the ring and props. The glass doors and windows were all covered with vinyl, some just black, some with silver D&D logos on a black background.

"The pictures don't do it justice," her boyfriend said, and gave her a kiss. "Come on, I'm dying to see the inside."

Kimber picked up Ari and led him inside, and immediately saw that Raven had changed a few things in the lobby, swapping out some of the black-framed pictures on the purple walls, but the largest one, which was over the largest black leather couch, was still the same, and the focal point. It was of Raven and herself in the ring, just before a match so many years ago, both in their goth characters. They had been opponents that night, and in the blown-up photo, they were sizing each other up. But, one of the smaller pictures caught Seth's attention, Shield cosplay. He set down Ari, who took off for her bed in the office.

Kimber rolled her eyes. "You just can't get enough of me in my special-ops outfit, can you?"

Before he could reply, Chad came from the office. At six-eight, he towered over Kimber, and was quite taller than Seth, and now that he'd shaved his head, he looked like Steve Austin, only with a lot more tattoos. "Well, I'll be damned!" He shook Seth's hand. "It's been a minute, man." He turned to Kimber, and gave her a bear hug. "Just look at you, Miss Money in the Bank!"

"I'll bring the briefcase tonight, when I come take over. I've got a t-shirt now, too, but only for women. Well, I suppose a guy could wear one, but I don't think they make one big enough for you, they only go up to a ladies' extra large."

"Sexism!" Chad declared dramatically, which made Kimber and Seth chuckle. "Raven told me you'd be covering during _mandatory crossfit,_ but she didn't tell me you'd be coming along." He gestured to Seth. "It's great to see you again, so stoked to see your career has reached such a high level. And, you've got the best possible woman beside you. RCCW would have never happened if not for her."

Kimber blushed. "Oh, stop-"

Seth put his arm around her, snugged her, and stole a kiss. "Don't I know it."

"I've known Britney, I mean, Kimber, almost ten years."

"You can still call me Britney if you want to, Chad."

"Nah, we should stick with your current character. Besides, I actually like the name, even if you don't," Chad said.

"So do I," Seth added. "I think it's cute, and you're cute, so therefore the name should stay."

"Okay... From this moment forward, until I'm no longer Kimber, I'm Kimber." She realized she sounded dingy as hell, just like her name, and her boyfriend, and the man who was nearly her brother, and had given her the first training she'd ever had, laughed.

"Time for the grand tour, she announced, and led Seth down the hall to show him their office, kitchenette, bathroom, and even their storage closet before pushing open the double doors that led to the ring area and locker rooms. She studied his man for his response, and was pleased to see his eyes widen, and hear him suck in his breath. She knew their ring, the centerpiece of the room, was splendid, she and Raven had spent a fortune on it. The ring posts and turnbuckles were black, the canvas was also black, and printed with a purple D&D logo. Black folding chairs had been set up around two sides of it, and across the room were the entrances to the locker rooms and their respective restrooms. Between the doors there were three rows of pictures, with information and dates below them, the progression of Raven's and Britney/Kimber's careers highlighting their achievements, together and apart, yes, Raven had updated everything that said "Britney" into "Britney/Kimber". Her row of pictures had had two added to it since the last time she'd been at the school; the well-known shot of her and Seth celebrating her debut on _RAW,_ and a still of her from the pay per view, clutching the second-biggest prize a girl could win, all triumph and disbelief, happy tears pouring down her cheeks. As always, she pulled the first pic in the row off the hook, nineteen year-old Britney Melrose, wearing her black-framed glasses and a purple Yoshi t-shirt, smiling at photographer Chad from behind her laptop, and compared it to the last. _Britney/Kimber goes to work for RCCW_ versus _Miss Money in the Bank._ Every time she did it, she was no less amazed at how far she'd come. She looked up and saw Seth walking around the ring with Chad, admiring the craftsmanship. She rehung the picture, and smiled at the guys. "You two planning on going at it?" She teased.

The bell in the lobby rang, and Chad excused himself to see to whoever it was. Seth stood looking at the ring, then at her. "Mind if I get in?"

"Go for it, my darling."

He handed her his glasses, and she perched them on her head. To show off his athleticism, her boyfriend jumped from the floor to the apron, and after testing the tightness of the ropes, jumped from the top one almost into the very center of the ring. She was rightfully awed, and cheered and bounced up and down as he bounced off the ropes.

"Kimber." Chad had reappeared, and tapped her on the shoulder. "You've got some fans here, kids."

"How many?"

"Three boys. Two of them are thirteen, the other is ten, the brother of one of the older ones. They came around looking for you a couple weeks ago, and Raven told them when you'd be around. They don't know he's here." Chad gestured at Seth, who was still flaunting his skills in the ring. "One of them is wearing one of his shirts, though, so it would probably mean a lot to them if they got to meet him."

"Well, that's up to him. Seth, darling!" She called.

He climbed down from the top turnbuckle he'd been about to dive from, and ambled over to her. "Yes my love?"

"We discourage fans from coming to the school, and lock the doors during training, but sometimes we make exceptions, especially for kids. There are three of them here to see me, and they seem to be fans of yours, too. Do you want to meet them, or hide away in the bathroom or something? If you want to hide, the men's locker room is over on the left there."

Chad laughed. "They don't know you're here."

Seth gave Kimber a big hug, and kissed her forehead. "I'm not going to hide from kids." He offered his arm. "Milady?"

Kimber took it, and they walked out into the lobby, where two skinny tow-headed boys stood, a short one and a taller one, with their ginger companion. The taller tow-head was wearing Seth's _Redesign, Rebuild, Reclaim_ shirt, and Kimber almost started laughing, because she'd often said it should have said _Redesign, Rebuild, Re-injure._ Seth didn't know that, she'd never told him.

Upon seeing Kimber and Seth, the kids' eyes lit up like it was Christmas. "Wow! It's really her! Kimber! You've got Money in the Bank!" The youngest boy exclaimed, as the older two stood speechless, in awe. "And, wow! Seth Rollins! Look, Luke! It's your favorite superstar, Seth Rollins! He's here, he's really here!"

"I should have brought the briefcase with me," Kimber told her guy. She turned her attention towards the kids. "Hey guys. What are your names?"

"I'm Cody," the small one replied. "And that's my brother Luke, and his friend Dann."

"With two Ns," Dann added, and offered his hand, though his eyes rested on her breasts.

Kimber shook Dann's hand, then Cody's, and finally Luke's, who seemed to be on the brink of tears, overwhelmed being in the presence of his favorite superstar. "It's so nice to meet you all." Seth followed suit with the handshakes, and when he got to Luke, the poor kid had frozen.

"Oh, boy, he's going to cry, isn't he?" He whispered to Kimber.

"Not if I can help it," she whispered back, then turned back to the kids, and flashed them her biggest smile. "Hey, you guys ever been inside a real wrestling ring before?"

After Kimber was done saving the day, and the kids were gone, she left Ari in the care of Chad, and drove Seth to see Humboldt Bay, then over to the Avenue of the Giants. She pulled over in the forest, so they could get out and enjoy the feeling that they were on the set of _Honey I Shrunk the Kids._ Seth was awed, and took dozens of pictures of the redwoods, large ferns, and a huge white toadstool large enough for Kimber to have used as a chair, though she didn't try, knowing it was fragile. She breathed deep of the woods, and felt peaceful, as she always did in this place. It was something so special, so beautiful, she didn't know how it could even exist in this world.

"It's like the Giant Land, in Mario 3," Seth said, and put an arm around her waist, and rested his chin on top of her head.

"Mhmm. It almost doesn't seem real, like _Alice in Wonderland._ " Kimber checked the time on her phone. "We should get back to town and get something to eat before we have to be back at the school. Well, I could drop you off at the house if you don't want to go to the school."

"No, I want to go. I think you, Raven, and Chad have done a great job with that school. Yes, it's small, but it looks great, and professional. I'm looking forward to meeting the students."

"Chad didn't come on as a full-time trainer until I signed with WWE, but he's been crucial to the development of our students. Come on, we can come back here tomorrow and hike around if you want, but we should grab some food before we have to get to work."

"One more pic," Seth said, and raised his phone and kissed her.

"Can you send that to me? I'd like to post it on Instagram."

"You? Posting something on Instagram?"

"Well, I'm going to try from time to time. I've got thousands of followers, so I ought to give them something to look at every once in awhile. Otherwise people might start thinking I'm...you know, snooty."

"My Kimber, snooty? Never!" Seth declared. "But, you'll have to post something else, because I just shared that pic."

"Oh, I'll post something else," Kimber playfully threatened. "Hashtag I just kicked my boyfriend's ass!"

He laughed, and took off running for the car, and Kimber gave chase.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 – When Dirty Little Fuckers Fall in Love**

When Kimber and Seth returned to D&D, Chad's car was joined by many others in the lot, and once Kimber unlocked the door, they could smell pizza. "I don't think we'll be doing any training tonight," Kimber told Seth, just before Chad and their students flooded the lobby from the hall, all excitement and smiles, and they weren't dressed to work out.

 _"Welcome back, Kimber!"_ Everyone screamed in unison.

"And welcome, Seth!" Ginger Lopez added, before rushing forward to give Kimber a big hug. She was not only her protege, but one of her closest friends. "Oh my god, Brit, I mean, Kimber, I've missed you _so_ much! I'm so happy for you, though! Oh, fuck, I'm crying." She titled her head back, to let the tears from the corners of her eyes, so as not to ruin her heavy eye makeup, sniffled, and recovered. She turned to Seth. "Hi, I'm Ginger. Nice to meet you."

"Come on, Ginge, quit hogging them!" Country-girl pretty blonde Kira playfully shoved the lovely Latina out of the way. Ginger shoved back, and Kimber caught Kira before she stumbled over her own feet; Kira's big fault in the ring was her clumsiness, which wasn't just limited to the ring, it was her nature. Though she had desperately wanted to be a high-flier, like Kimber, who she idolized, Raven had a heart-to-heart with her to let that dream die before she injured herself or someone else, and convinced her to be a submission specialist, instead, and stay on the canvas.

As each of her students reunited with her and met Seth, Kimber was beginning to feel as though she was a bride in a receiving line after her wedding ceremony. The last one to pass through was Chad, on his way out and over to the gym.

"I wish I'd known you all were planning a party, we wouldn't have had dinner," Kimber told her students.

"You should have known we'd plan something, Duch," Paul Martens replied.

"Yeah, it's been forever since we've seen you," Ginger added. "And there's too much good going on not to celebrate."

"So let's celebrate!" Kimber declared, and led Seth into the training room. Tables had been set up in the ring, they were laden with food; plastic plates, cups, and silverware; and all the fixings for mixed drinks. Three coolers offered additional beverage choices. The students insisted Kimber and Seth get the first shot at food and drink. Even though they'd had dinner, Kimber couldn't resist having one of Ginger's famous enchiladas, Seth had to try Nick's wife's potato salad, because it looked very similar to his grandmother's, and who could say no to chocolate cake with white frosting? It was from Eat Cake, Kimber's favorite bakery, which also employed Kira. It was a large layer cake rather than a sheet cake, and it had been decorated with purple flowers with black leaves, and said _Welcome Back, Kimber!_ Brett, who worked as a bartender, stepped up to do so now, and fixed a seven-and-seven for the guest of honor, and a Jack and Coke for her famous boyfriend.

They sat down on two folding chairs to eat, and Kimber's students gathered around. She felt like a queen with her king(slayer), holding court. Soon, she would be the queen of the WWE...and a heel, she'd recently learned. Alexa's suspension left the role of top female heel vacant as well as the title, and Kimber had experience in heel roles, it was decided that she should be the one to fill that spot, at least on a temporary basis. She knew it was also a test of her charisma, they wanted to see if she could still be a draw as a heel. Her current feud with Bayley was written as an amicable one of respect, between two of the most talented female wrestlers in the company, if not the whole industry, and it was setting up Kimber's heel turn, when she cashed in on her friend, who would win the title at _SummerSlam._ She spilled the story about what had Alexa had done to be suspended and stripped of her title, and dished spoilers to her students, swearing them to silence, of course, including the exciting news that Matt was going to be using his WWE version of his Broken Matt Hardy character for the first time on _RAW_ next week. Her students took tons of pictures, showed them several videos of the moves they'd recently learned, or mastered, and kept the royal cups full. After learning Chad would drive them home, Kimber gave into getting drunk.

She would have preferred a good old fashioned bong hit or few. But, due to her employer's drug testing policy, she didn't dare touch anything but alcohol. Weed was just a fine, but it was still frowned upon, and if she tested dirty, she'd likely lose her push. Nothing scared her more than the thought of fucking up all the big plans that had been made for her, especially now that Bayley was involved in them as well.

Kimber couldn't deny that she was attracted to her new friend. Because they were working together, and she was also close friends with her boyfriend, she had spent a lot of time with the tall, lovely, slender, but strong brunette with the beautiful brown eyes recently, and Bayley had even joined the couple for a few meals and sessions of crossfit on the road. She had a feeling Bayley would become her new go-to-gal-pal once Renee's maternity leave started, after next week's _Smackdown._ Renee's absence would also free up Dean to spend more time with Seth, so she imagined that she and Bayley would be alone a lot together.

By the time the party ended, she was in worse shape than Seth had been that night he'd confessed to her about Dean. He was still plenty inebriated, but he was able to help Kimber negotiate the six steps up the front porch, in the glow of Chad's headlights. Her keys were in her hand, the one she needed seemed to be pointing at the lock, but she kept missing it as she swayed on her feet. Beside her, Seth, who'd broken the seal yet again, fidgeted impatiently and reminded her for the fifth or sixth time that he was badly in need of a bathroom.

Kimber thought she might need a bathroom, too, for another reason. She felt so dizzy she thought she might throw up, how she hated being drunk. She sat down on the porch, keys still in her hand. Her honey grabbed them from her. "Which one is it? He let out a panicky groan, and started trying keys in the lock as he kept fidgeting. Kimber couldn't say anything, she knew that if she opened her mouth, she _would_ throw up.

"Come on, baby, please, a hint," Seth begged. "There's like fifteen keys here, and I'm fifteen seconds away from pissing myself! Fuck!" He dropped the keys and dashed down the steps and began watering the lilacs.

Chad leaned out of the car, laughing. "You guys need some help?"

"We're fine!" Seth shouted.

"Alright. See you guys tomorrow. Goodnight."

Kimber lifted her head off her knees and watched Chad's tail lights in duplicate meander down the drive way. Then, she crawled over to the edge of the porch and used the rail to pull herself up and leaned over, into the garden just before she began to retch. How fucking embarrassing. Physically, she felt much better after getting some of the poison out, but she couldn't even look at her boyfriend, who'd finished doing what he'd needed to in the bushes, and had returned to the porch and resumed trying keys in the front door. Without the distraction of trying not to wet his pants, he succeeded quickly, and Ari ran inside.

"Come on, sweetheart," he told Kimber. "Let's go to bed."

"I didn't want you to see me like that." She spit over the railing, and wiped her mouth again. "I feel like a stupid kid on prom night. I shouldn't have drank so much."

"Don't worry about it, we all take it a little too far every once in awhile." He came over, and began rubbing her shoulders.

"I should know better, though. I'm so embarrassed."

"Kimber, sweetheart, you don't need to feel embarrassed, not with me. I'm your boyfriend. I love you unconditionally. And, I pissed my pants, so who am I to judge you?"

"You pissed your pants?"

Seth nodded, and blushed. "Yeah, a little. And, I love you." He repeated.

Even in her very messed-up state, Kimber was overcome with emotion, and she had no idea what was going to come out of her mouth. "You don't know how long I've been wanting to hear you say that, or how wonderful it feels for me to be able to say it back. I love you, Seth Freakin' Rollins." She wrapped her arms and one leg around him, as if trying to merge her body with his. She was crying, and he was protesting that she shouldn't do that, because he was wet, but she kissed his neck and told him that it didn't matter, it didn't matter at all. She knew she was getting wet, even though she couldn't really feel it, she looked down and saw darker patches on her gray D&D t-shirt, but she didn't care, in fact, she found it rather hot, and what she could really feel was how hard he was, his dick was a long, hot stone imprisoned in two damp layers of clothing, a tight, skimpy pair of black trunks, and black polyester Adidas tear-aways she'd watched him put on before they'd left for the school the second time. He'd been hard then, too. Kimber had a feeling that unless her honey came before they went to bed, they'd be waking up with sticky sheets. She was dying to help him release. She dug her hands up under his t-shirt rubbed his abs, then dropped her hand to the waistband of his tear-aways, and playfully slipped a finger in, and ran it along, between his skin and the wet material. She kissed his neck again, and nibbled his earlobe. "Is it okay?" She asked.

Seth nodded. "Let's go upstairs." He scooped her up, and like a new groom carrying his bride over the threshold, carried her into the house and all the way up to her room. Kimber popped in the bathroom for a quick tooth brushing, because she'd thrown up, and she knew he would want to kiss her. When she came out, her handsome boyfriend had taken off everything but the brief black trunks, which were smaller than some styles of men's underwear. They couldn't contain his aroused manhood, the first three inches of his cock protruded from the waistband, and it was drooling precum into his dark treasure trail as he idly stroked himself through the thin, wet material. "Look at what you do to me," he said. "I'm so hard for you."

Kimber pulled off her shirt and lace bralette, stepped out of her sneakers, and replaced Seth's stroking hand with her own. She used his seemingly endless supply of precum as lube, and used it to tease the very pink head, which made him groan with pleasure, and thrust his hips. She sat down on the edge of her bed, and pulled down his snug briefs, made even tighter by his accident, and he stepped out of them. Precum dripped down on to her left breast, near her nipple, and Seth reached down to rub it in, and tease her. She could smell and taste his piss on his skin as she kissed him, all over his thighs, abdomen, and even his cock before wrapping her lips around it. He gasped in pleasure, and thrust his hands into her hair. She knew there was no way in hell she could take him all the way in, he was just too big, so she wrapped her hand around his shaft as she twirled her tongue around his glans, and sucked it. Her other hand dropped between her own legs and into her yoga pants. Her thin undies were already very wet and sticky, and she rubbed herself through them as she pleasured him. His hips were in a rhythm now, he was fucking her hand and her mouth, and he was screaming her name over and over again. Then, it became just an incoherent jumble of moans and pants of pleasure as his cock grew even harder, and began to twitch. Kimber pulled away, and rubbed him, and he shot seven huge bursts of cum onto her breasts, stomach, even on the crotch of her yoga pants. Afterwards, he collapsed beside her and lay breathing hard, recovering. She began looking around for something to mop off the cum with.

"Don't worry about that," he told her. "I'll take care of it." He knelt before her, and began licking and sucking his cum off of her tattooed skin, starting with her breasts, and finishing with her pants, teasing her by blowing hot air into her crotch before starting to rub her.

"I need to pee." She realized, as he accidentally nudged her alcohol-distended bladder.

Seth smiled up at her from in between her legs. "So, go... Wait, maybe we should take these off first." He tugged at her pants, and she lifted her hips so he could slide them off, along with her undies, and blew gently on her whole crotch before stroking her clit, all the way down to her dripping pussy. "Oh fuck, you're _so_ wet for me." He gently worked her a little with a finger. "So tight, too. You want me so bad, don't you?" He began to tease her swollen clit with his tongue, and Kimber's legs began to helplessly twitch. "Do you want to cum for me?"

"I want to pee. I have to go really bad, but you put me in a hell of a situation. Now that I'm all aroused, and swollen down there, I can't go. And, it's hard for me to cum on such a full bladder."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of both of your problems," Seth told her, with a naughty grin. "And, I'll bet you I can get them taken care of at the same time. Loser washes our gear by hand next time we go on the road."

Kimber tousled his hair. "Now I don't see how that's fair. I always wash our gear anyway. In fact, I do all of our laundry, all the time."

Seth leaned up and kissed her. "One of the many reasons I love you, Kimber." He grabbed all the pillows and stacked them behind her so she could sit up on the edge of the bed and watch what he was doing. To her surprise, and delight, he was rock hard again, despite the enormous load he'd so recently shot, and number of drinks he'd consumed. He stood before Kimber, and played with himself. "I love that you do our laundry, and do most of the other housekeeping type stuff, but I promise you I'll clean up the mess you're about to make."

He knelt down on the floor between her legs again, and gently pressed on her bladder. Kimber moaned and squirmed. "I'd like to up things. I'll bet I can have you doing both without penetration."

"But darling, I want to feel you inside me so very badly. I want to let all this piss go all over your throbbing cock as you fuck me, so deep-"

"So it shall be," Seth said, and gently stroked her clit. "But not tonight. It's not that I don't desire you, don't think for a moment I don't, because I do. It's taking a lot of self-control _not_ to grab you by the hips and pull you right down on to my joystick." He smiled, and chuckled, and so did she. "But, we're both pretty drunk. I don't want our first time together to be like that. I just think it should be something special, rather than something we'll only remember in bits and pieces when we wake up sometime around noon."

Even though the desire to have him inside her was so great it was painful, even overriding the constant throbbing ache of her bladder, she had to admit that he was right. "I love you."

"I love you, too. And, I still want to give you a mind-blowing orgasm, and make you piss all over me. I want you to drench me." He turned his attention back to pleasuring her with his clever tongue, and every once in awhile, he'd press down on her bladder. In only a few minutes, he had her twitching and tingling and on the edge of either pissing or cumming, and then the intense climax began.

"Oh fuck, darling, here it comes!" She warned her guy just before the first muscular contraction came, and with it, a short, strong gush of piss. She moaned and squirmed as two of natures strongest forces came together in her, and for what felt like an eternity she was barely aware of anything besides her own bliss. She felt dangerously close to passing out by the time it was over, and her bladder hurt from having been so full, but she was also completely satiated, blissful. She looked down at her naughty playmate. He was smiling with that same bliss, his hair dripping with her piss, holding his latest cumshot, a much smaller one, in his hand.

Kimber straightened up and reached down to play with his hair. "Just look at you, all drippy with piss and sticky with cum. What a dirty little fucker you are."

Seth licked his hand. "Yeah, you called that one right. But I'm not the only one."

Kimber laughed. "Oh no, I won't lie, I'm the dirtiest little fucker in the game."

"And, you're delicious." Her boyfriend added, and climbed up on the bed beside her to snuggle his wet, naked, body against hers. He kissed her, and feeling her piss drip off of his hair and on to her skin, smelling her scent on his skin, and tasting herself on his lips overwhelmed her with intimacy. At that moment, she had never loved any man more.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 – Seth to the Rescue**

When Kimber woke up she was alone, but there was a note from Seth under a bottle of water on the night table. She read it as she drank the water. _Gone running, back by 2. Love, your dirty little fucker, Seth._ She smiled. Despite all the booze she'd put into her body last night, she wasn't feeling too terrible, nothing a few bottles of water couldn't take care of. She got dressed in workout clothes, and headed downstairs to the kitchen for coffee and a protein bar, and noshed on her way to the solarium, the house gym, for a quick workout. Seth came in just after she finished, and was wiping her sweaty face on a towel. Even though she'd showered with Seth after last night's play session, she could smell the remnants of liquor in her sweat, and in her boyfriend's, when he pulled her into his arms. She could feel his hard on poking her tummy, and between her legs, she became swollen, wet, and hot in response, even though they were both stinking and nasty, she had never wanted a good, honest fuck so badly in her entire life, and couldn't keep a small, impatient, needy moan from escaping her lips when he kissed her shoulder where he always liked to, there were several small hickeys there, old and new.

He pressed his hard on against her. "Oh, Kimber..." He sighed, and cradled her ass in both hands, and pulled her in even closer, and she felt his cock twitch. "Do you want to finish what we started last night?"

"More like very early this morning," Kimber corrected. "But yes. Yes, yes, hell freaking yes."

"Race you upstairs!" Seth released her, and took off, and she gave chase, but knowing her house better than he did, she took the back staircase, and arrived at her room just before he did.

"Hey! Now how is that possible?"

"My secret magical powers."

"Oh really now?"

Kimber smiled enigmatically, and led him to her bed. "Yes, and if I told you any more, I'd lose them." She sat down on the edge of the bed and left a slow trail of soft kisses down his hairy chest to his treasure trail and untied the lace on his shorts with her mouth. She tugged them down, very gently raking her short nails down his hips and down his thighs, raising goosebumps, and he shuddered with pleasure as precum drooled from the tip of his cock. She leaned in, and kissed it off, and Seth moaned.

"I don't know if you've got magic powers or not, but you definitely strike a chord in me." He gently prodded her to lie down on the bed, and kissed her, and began helping her strip, planting kisses on the tanned, tattooed skin he uncovered. In no time at all, she was completely nude, and he was lying on top of her, worshiping her breasts.

She ran her fingertips down his back and around, then teased his ass crack. He sighed, and his cheeks softened and parted to allow her to rub his man hole. Seth sure did have one hell of a hairy ass, he had a ton of hair in all the right places, and let it grow wild and free, except for his pubic hair, which he kept closely trimmed to further show off the grandeur of his pleasure piece. She slid out from beneath him, causing him to sit up and grab for her, but in a playful show of her dominance, she shoved him back on the bed. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's dying to be penetrated." She grabbed one of his legs, and pushed it back, and resumed tickling, rubbing, and prodding his entrance.

"Oh, no, you're not..." Seth gasped. "Your dirty little fucker _needs_ a good, hard fuck."

Kimber opened her night table drawer, and produced a bottle of lube, and poured a generous amount into her hand, and rubbed her fingers together to make it warm before transferring the goo to her soon-to-be lover's crack, and slowly opening his hole with her index and middle fingers. He was tight, but very relaxed, once she'd gained entrance up to her first knuckles, his muscles tried to pull her fingers all the way inside, and she smiled down at him, and slipped her fingers out. "Not yet, my love. You made me wait, and you're still keeping me waiting, so therefore, you must wait as well." She took the lube and drew a line between her breasts with it.

Seth whined, and reached down to work his ass. "That's not fair!"

Kimber squeezed her lubed-up rack around his cock and smiled at him, and Seth stopped toying around with his ass and grabbed her by the arms and pulled her onto the bed, and on top of him. "No more waiting," he told her, and passionately kissed her.

"Finally," Kimber replied, and kissed him, only to be interrupted by the doorbell. "Fuck!"

"Go away!" Seth said, but not loud enough for the caller to hear.

Kimber went to her window that overlooked the front, and saw a FedEx truck parked in their circular driveway. "It's FedEx. They probably need a signature. _Be right down!"_ She called out the window, and began looking for something to throw on.

"I can go if you want," Seth offered.

"Thank you, darling."

Seth pulled on a pair of shorts and dashed downstairs, and Kimber wondered what could be coming from the FedEx guy. Raven hadn't mentioned any expected deliveries, and she certainly wasn't expecting anything. In a flash, her boyfriend returned, with large FedEx envelope in his hand, and he looked a little sick. "It's-" he cleared his throat. "It's from work. For you."

She sat down on the bed, and he sat beside her. She knew he was thinking the same thing she was, how CM Punk had gotten fired via FedEx, and on his wedding day of all days. He handed her the envelope, and she was shaking so badly she dropped it, and he picked it up. "Do you want me to...?"

She nodded, and he ripped open the envelope and took out the papers. Rather than trying to sneak a peek at them, she stared at her boyfriend's face, for his response would tell her whether the news was good or bad. And, he relaxed, though he wasn't smiling, he didn't look like he was trying to figure out how to tell one of the loves of his life that she'd been fired, either, so it couldn't be so bad. "Well?" She asked.

"Alexa's coming back to work. WWE wants to make sure you're aware of that, and what conditions she has to abide by that involve you. Like it says here she needs to make a sincere apology to you, in front of Hunter and Steph, before _RAW_ airs on Monday, a pre-recorded segment."

Kimber snatched the papers from his hands and began to read them. "They're turning this into a fucking storyline? Why the fuck...no, _who_ the fuck thinks that's a good idea?" She ranted. "I'm calling them, right now! This is _not_ going to go down. After everything she did to me, how do they think I could ever work a program with her? She should be fucking fired, she's useless anyway, she's just spankbait."

"I'm going to call Hunter right now," Seth told her. "I'll get to the bottom of it, and see if we can't get this story idea killed before it has to come to fruition. Don't call anyone yet, just try to calm down." He stepped out with his phone.

All hopes for getting laid had died with the onset of her impotent anger, and she put her clothes back on and fixed her bed. She knew damn well that at this early stage of her WWE career, she had zero pull when it came to her character. She had to do whatever the hell she was told to do, no matter how awful it was. Now her only hope was that Seth could use his friendship with Hunter to make it go away.

Seth was on the phone for over an hour and a half. Kimber peeked in on him a few times, in the solarium/gym, sitting on a bench, but she always caught him listening rather than talking, and she couldn't make out Hunter's side of the conversation. She started dinner, a turkey tenderloin with red potatoes. He came in once, still on the phone, for a bottle of water, and gave her a reassuring hug and kiss before leaving again.

Finally, he came back, and took over setting the table. "Alright, first the why. When Vince heard about Alexa trying to make you drink laxative, he thought it was the funniest thing ever." His face wrinkled in disgust, and so did Kimber's. "Vince likes Alexa. He...fuck, baby, I'm sorry, this is so hard to say...he doesn't like you."

The senses of doom, dismay, and disbelief collided within her and set her stomach rolling, and her throat aching, and she buried her face in her hands. She felt Seth's caring hands rubbing her back and shoulders. "Did Hunter tell you why he doesn't like me?"

"Yeah, it's a mixture of things, like he doesn't like your hair color, thinks your muscles are too manly, and because you're not his creation. Hunter and Vince disagree a lot on what makes a great superstar, and Hunter thinks the world of you."

"It doesn't matter. Vince still has the final say. I'm going to be a fucking joke. Not even Impact or TNA or whatever they're calling themselves now will want me after I've been ruined."

"You won't be ruined, I promise, cross my heart. Even though Vince has final say, he also has a lot of respect for his son in-law. Hunter's going to talk to him, and I know he'll get him to see that this can't happen. Most of the writers don't want to do this story, either. Everything will be okay. You'll keep working with Bayley, and they'll put Alexa into something else."

Even though she was on the brink of tears, Kimber couldn't help but smile when Seth said the name of her crush. She hadn't yet told him she wanted to be more than friends with his best gal pal; she wanted to see if Bayley had similar inclinations.

"Hunter does want to talk to you about what all happened between you and her since you came on to the main roster. I didn't come right out and tell him, but I told him it was very serious, and criminal. I thought it might be easier for you to tell another woman, though, so Steph's going to call you."

"I'd rather not tell them at all. I'd rather just bury it and go on with my life."

Seth held her. "I know, my love. I told them that, too. But, I think you need to tell them. They need to know what kind of person they're working with."

Kimber nodded against his hairy chest. "You're right."

"I told Hunter we were about to sit down to dinner, so she probably won't call for an hour or two."

"Right when I'll be at the school, naturally."

Seth smiled. "I think I can handle filling in. After all, I do own a wrestling school, too, you know."

"Of course, darling." She kissed him, and the timer on the oven went off.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 – Telling Stephanie**

Because of the anticipated call from Stephanie, Kimber had to break one of her own school rules and work with her phone jammed into the waistband of her yoga pants. Phones were strictly prohibited from leaving the locker rooms during training sessions without explicit permission from Raven, Chad, or herself. She was nearly sick with worry, afraid Stephanie wouldn't be receptive to the nearly unbelieveable story. Her students could see she was preoccupied, distracted, and after Ginger nearly took her head off because of her lack of attention, Seth stepped in and sent her to the outside, despite her protests. Her protege slid out of the ring and joined her on the outside mat.

"I'm so sorry," Ginger immediately apologized.

Kimber shook her head. "Don't be, it was entirely my fault. I have no business being in a ring right now, just like he said." She nodded at Seth, who was now working with Nick and Brett.

Ginger gave her a hug. "I still can't believe you're with him, you're so lucky."

"That is true. If not for him..." She trailed off. Even though Ginger would never tell anyone her secret, Kimber wanted as few people to know about it as possible. She shrugged. "He's a dream. Someday I'll tell you about how we met."

"Hon, why don't you tell me what's bothering you instead?"

"Just stressed about an upcoming creative angle I don't want to be a part of. I'm waiting on a phone call from the boss. I'm hoping to put an end to it before it even starts." Just then, her phone rang. "Excuse me." She stepped out as she answered it.

"Kimber? This is Stephanie McMahon."

"Hey, Stephanie, just give me one second to get into the office." She stepped in and closed the door behind her and sat down at the desk. "Okay."

"Are you at your wrestling school?" The boss asked, and Kimber could hear the admiration in her voice, which made her feel good, and relaxed.

"Yes. Seth's filling in for me right now. This was supposed to be a mini-vacation, but it turned into a working vacation when one of the students, Bryan McCallister, got a tryout opportunity with NJPW. Raven went with him, he's her protege."

"What a wonderful opportunity for that young man! I saw Bryan wrestle in a show Hunter and I went to last year. Hunter said he reminded him of a young Chris Benoit, not in looks of course, but in terms of moves and talent. He said he'd keep an eye on him over the next couple years. And, I'm really happy you and Seth are together. I don't know what upset him near the end of winter, but whatever it was, you fixed it. He's a wonderful man."

"He's my knight in shining armor," Kimber said. "Literally. If not for him, I wouldn't have made it past my first night, Stephanie. You saw what the way they embarrassed me in the ring. That was nothing compared to what happened before and afterwards, in the locker room. I really want to just let this whole thing blow over, and lay dead, but if I need to tell you everything in order to convince your father not to turn this into a storyline, I will."

"Summer Rae told me Alexa had stolen your purse, and of course I saw that match, but I didn't know there was more too it than that."

"There was a lot more. It was physical, and...sexual. Alexa was the ringleader in all of it, but Emma, Carmella, and Nia were pretty well-involved, too. Though, I think maybe Nia didn't want to do it, I think she's just cowed by Alexa. I think the whole locker room took part in the initial incident, when they beat me down, literally tore my fucking, sorry, pardon me, my clothes off, shoved my panties in my mouth, whipped me with a towel I think they urinated on, and threw me out of the locker room naked without my bag."

Stephanie was stunned into silence, just as Seth had been when she admitted it to him, and she gave Seth's response. "Kimber, I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"I'm not done yet. I'll skip the match, because you saw that. What you may not know was that Alexa attempted to break my wrist during it. That was the initial injury, when she stomped on it, she did it as hard as she could. She tried to put me on the shelf. Then, after the match, they...forced me to, um...perform oral sex on them. Nia held me down, and Alexa told me I had to clean her, and everyone else, front and back. They wouldn't let me go, not even after I vomited. Carmella even pissed, I mean, urinated in my face. After that they stole my purse, so I had no way to get to the next show. I was very lucky Seth was there."

"Why didn't you come to me?"

"Most everyone had already left."

"No, I mean before anything else had a chance to happen. Seth implied to my husband that there were multiple incidents."

"I didn't want to be seen as a pussy. That felt like the only thing I had going for me. And, I thought maybe it was just hazing. I mean, I've heard a lot of stories about the disgusting things wrestlers do to each other." She laughed a little, but it was bitter.

"What else happened?"

"They made me stay on my knees naked in the locker room at all times. They called me 'puppyslut' and made me wear a leash and collar. Alexa made me show her my, um, special area, and she penetrated me very roughly with a finger and made me bleed. She wouldn't let me use the toilet, and forced me to urinate in a floor drain in front of everyone. She put peanut butter all over her... You know, between her legs, and made me lick it all off and give her an orgasm. If I resisted in any way, I was beaten, and they especially liked to go right for the wrist Alexa fucked up. Oops, sorry."

Stephanie sniffled, and when she spoke, her voice was very strained. She was crying for her. "Kimber, I don't mind if you swear. I don't even know what to say. Please don't tell me there's any more."

"Outside of the constant verbal harassment, most of it due to my relationship with Seth, no. In fact, after you intervened and got my cards back, and set up the ladder match, everyone let it go besides Alexa. I just want to let it go, too. Hopefully, so does she. But, you can see why I don't want to work with her in a storyline that mirrors the truth."

"I completely understand. I will absolutely _not_ allow that to happen. We'll find something else for her to do, and you'll keep your storyline with Bayley. When we do the brand split, you'll be on _RAW_ and she'll be on _Smackdown._ You won't have to work with her again," Stephanie promised.

"What about Seth? _RAW_ or _Smackdown?"_

 _"RAW,_ of course. We wouldn't dream of breaking up our number-one fan-favorite couple, even if we haven't mentioned your relationship onscreen. There will come a time for that, as we plan to have an integender tag tournament on the Network this fall, and have some real couples team up, including you and Seth."

Kimber smiled. "That sounds like a lot of fun, I can't wait."

"Kimber, have you talked to anyone about what happened to you?"

"Only you and Seth know everything."

"No, I meant like a counselor, or a psychiatrist."

"Oh. No, I don't really think it's necessary. I'm over it. I just want everyone to forget about it, and move on."

"Okay, but I still think you see someone. You know it's covered if you decide to."

"Yes, I know."

"I'll be in touch as soon as I speak with my father. Again, Kimber, I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this."

"Thank you."

After hanging up the phone, Kimber broke down into tears. The lifeshattering enormity of what she had been through, the pain, humiliation, degradation she had received at the hands of other human beings finally hit her, weeks later, when she had been on top of the world. Even though it was over now, the shame, the embarrassment, the emotional damage felt fresh. She realized there was a lot she had not allowed herself to feel, that she had been forced to keep hidden every day she'd had to walk into that locker room, even after she had her relationship with Seth as a protective shield. Telling Stephanie had brought everything to the surface. She had been spit upon. Beaten. Raped. Violated. Injured. She felt broken, and not in the totally awesome Matt Hardy way.

She stayed in the office for the rest of the session. After everyone else left, Seth knocked on the door. Kimber had stopped crying by that time, and unlocked the door to let him in. It seemed to take all of her effort to do so. She felt drained, not only mentally, but physically as well. She almost collapsed into his arms. He said nothing, he just held her and stroked her hair until she was ready to speak.

"Telling Stephanie brought it all full-circle for me. I thought I was over it, but... She thinks I should see a shrink. Do you think so?"

"Do you think you should talk to someone about it?"

"Well, maybe. But I'm not the crazy one. I mean, Alexa's the one with the problem." She went into the bathroom and washed her face.

Seth leaned in the doorway. "It couldn't hurt to talk to someone about it. Maybe not a shrink, but a counselor?"

"Maybe," she replied, as she emerged and started turning off lights. "Raven had a phone counselor after that girl broke her neck."

"You should give them a call tomorrow. And remember, babe, none of this is your fault. What they did to you was wrong. And, you've got me. I will always be there for you, Kimber. I love you deeply and unconditionally."

Kimber turned to smile at him in the dark. "I know. And, I love you the same way. Let's go home."


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26 – Sexual Healing**

She and Seth still hadn't gone all the way, fucked, had sex, made love, rocked the casbah, knocked the boots, whatever cute or nasty euphemism used, they hadn't done it. Stephanie had not called her back last night, and Kimber had been unable to sleep from the stress of that, because her career was hanging in the balance, with nothing within her control. Seth, the caring boyfriend he was, rubbed her back, neck, and shoulders until she was soothed into sleep. She woke up late again, and again the bed beside her was empty, but soon he appeared in the doorway, bearing a tray laden with breakfast in bed for two. For the first time ever, Kimber skipped brushing her teeth immediately, and sat up to take the tray so he could climb in beside her. She pulled the covers up to hide her breasts and Seth's dick before taking a couple's selfie to share with her Instagram followers. _Breakfast in bed! I love my guy._ Followed by several red hearts. Hashtag _bestboyfriendever._ Then, she lowered the covers, and snapped another picture just for the two of them, completely nude as she munched a slice of toast with strawberry jam.

"Dirty girl," Seth playfully scolded, and began making out with her.

"Dirty little fucker," she retorted, and laughed. "Stop, I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

"I don't care. Hey, you're not going to post that second picture on Instagram, are you?"

"No... I'm going to post it on Twitter!" Kimber playfully threatened. "My official WWE one, too."

"Wise ass," Seth said, and fed her a piece of bacon.

"You didn't fry this bacon in the nude, did you?"

Seth laughed. "Well, until the grease started spattering. Then I put on an apron."

Kimber giggled, and poured them each a cup of coffee from the carafe.

"Are you going to call Raven's counselor today?"

"Yes. I really thought I was over it, but I guess I'm still somewhere in the healing process. I need a little guidance. I mean, I'm basically okay, but... Oh, I don't know how to word it."

"Don't worry, my love. I understand."

Kimber suddenly remembered the more positive parts of her conversation with the boss last night. "Hey, did you hear about the mixed tag team tournament they're planning for the fall?"

"Not lately, but I guess you've heard something recently. Is it going to happen?"

"From what I gathered from Stephanie, yes. They want to use as many real-life couples as they can, and she called us the 'number-one fan-favorite couple', so you know we'll be in it." She smiled, and offered him half of her tangerine.

He took it. "I'm really looking forward to the fall, then."

"Me too. I wonder if I'll still be lugging around Money in the Bank then. I haven't heard any plans for me to cash in at _SummerSlam._ Neither has Bayley, so I don't think that's the plan anymore. So much for my lengthy title reign."

"I wouldn't write it off," Seth told her. "We should go in early today, start training for that mixed tag thing. We can even work out a special entrance-"

"Can we use your theme?" Kimber asked, eagerly. She still hated hers, it sounded like bad porn background music. She was hoping for a new song when she turned heel. Now that she knew Vince didn't think very highly of her, she was afraid to approach him with her ideas.

"Of course. Your music sucks," he teased.

"I know. I hate it, it's embarrassing, it totally clashes with my character, and there's nothing I can do about it besides hope that Vince notices it sucks. Of course, I've noticed that what Vince thinks sucks, and what the rest of the world thinks sucks are vastly different."

"That is very true."

Kimber sighed. "I'm not what he intended me to be. You know that saying 'you can't make a whore into a housewife'? For me it's more like 'you can't make a tattooed tomboy into a sex goddess'."

Seth moved the tray off to the nightstand and snuggled up. "I disagree. I think your tomboyish personality and style, and your tattoos make you sexy. And, I think you did good with what they gave you in NXT, even though I'd seen some of your pre-WWE matches, and knew you were capable of so much more. Putting you with Matt allowed you to revert back to yourself, and be comfortable in the ring again. Your theme just hasn't caught up yet."

"I hope it does soon. I think it's just a remix of Val Venis' theme."

"They could be holding out on it until your heel turn. Hey, I just realized something... Your heel turn is going to come when you cash in on Bayley, right?"

"That was the plan, though I have no idea what's in store for me now."

"I do," Seth quipped, and kissed her. "How about this?" He guided her hand beneath the sheets, to his hard on, and she began to stroke it. "Mmmmm... Seriously, though, if the plan is still to turn you heel when you cash in on Bayley, I don't think it'll come until after that mixed tag thing is over with. They won't have us working together unless we're both heels or both faces, and you know I'm a face for the foreseeable future, so you'll have your briefcase and be introduced as 'Miss Money in the Bank' when you're my tag team partner."

"And you'll be introduced as 'one-half of the tag team champions'. Clearly a dominant force," Kimber added, smiling at him while she kept teasing his huge, throbbing cock. She couldn't wait to find out how well he used it. So far, he'd been a passionate, sportive lover, and they shared some kinks in common, which was a definite bonus, because Kimber was not one to compromise on her kinks. She wanted him in her, and she wanted to be inside of him.

He gently took her hand away from his cock, and pulled her closer, and they began making out. Her heart began to beat super fast, this was it. Nothing was going to stop it from happening this time. She was instantly, painfully aroused, and wanted him to fuck her immediately. She squirmed uncomfortably in his arms, until she was able to rub her aching pussy, and it's slick juices, on one of his thighs. In a haze of pleasure, she began humping his hairy leg, and broke their kiss to release a soft moan. His hand went down between her legs, and felt all the wetness. "Oh, Kimber..."

She began to hump his hand, and he began to finger her. Even just that nearly sent her over the edge, and she abruptly pulled away and started thinking about Alexa, the unsexiest person she could think of. "I can multiple," she panted to Seth. "But, I don't want to cum on your fingers. I want to cum on your cock. I want you to feel the first orgasm you give me."

Seth kissed her, and moved her hips so she was straddling his. "You're really tight, and well, it's a lot to take, so I think it's best that you handle things, I don't want to hurt you."

She rubbed her wet pussy up and down his cock, to get it nice and lubed. "I'm going to bust right away the first time, probably before I'm even able to get you all the way in. It's been awhile since anyone's been up there." She blushed, and giggled a little.

"I'll probably go pretty quick myself, tight as you are. But, it's pretty likely I'll stay hard afterwards."

"Good."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Seth." Kimber got on her knees, and reached behind her to grab the Kingslayer's scepter. She rubbed it against herself a few more times, then lined it up and slowly sat down, little by little, because in addition to the pleasure, there was some pain, and she knew right away she might not be able to take him all the way this first time, because it had been probably close to three years since she'd had anything inside her besides fingers and tampons. But, plucky, she pressed on, building the pleasure to override the pain, riding half of her boyfriend's famous dick. It was so needed. She let herself get loud, feral even, and Seth kept up the volume with her. His verbal expression of the pleasure she was giving him sent her over the edge, and she stopped. Her hips twitched along with her pussy as it clenched and pulled at Seth's cock over and over. She thought she would pass out before she stopped, then she felt him grip her ass hard, and his hot jiz spurted out to pleasantly warm her inside during the afterglow.

She'd thought before they'd started that they would keep going, but she felt pleasantly spent and mellow, the same way she would have described what Seth looked like, his face frozen in a silly smile. So, she slid off of him instead, and curled up in his arms instead. She was a little sore, but she didn't care, it was worth it, and she'd suffer a million times worse if she had to just to be with him again. She knew she should go sit on the toilet before the cum started seeping out, but she didn't want to leave her man. She felt closer to him than ever before, and realized that they had not merely had sex, even though it had been very brief, they'd made love.

They spent most of the day making love all over the house, with lots of breaks for snuggling, snacks, books, video games, planning their tag team, and the like. Kimber also called Raven's counselor, Robin, who made an appointment to call her tomorrow morning. By the time they left for the school, Kimber was so sore she could hardly walk, but she still felt better than she had in a long time.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27 - Love, War, and Get the Fuck Out**

In some dark part of Kimber's mind, the thought that once she and Seth consummated their relationship he would more or less dismiss her lingered. It was a juvenile, immature idea, but it nagged at her, even though it had not happened. He was more hers than ever, and her home had begun to feel like a nest, her school like their school. They'd begun working together at D&D, and with permission from Stephanie, who'd decided to announce the mixed tag tournament on _RAW,_ she ordered new ring gear to match her boyfriend's, another variance from her norm, but one she did not mind for a change. She could handle spandex because they'd look stunning together. They always did, no matter where they went. And wherever they went, they were almost always together. Kimbrollins. But, the fear of abandonment still crept in.

She had discussed it with Robin, who said it was normal for her to have those feelings towards him, because she was emotionally damaged from what she had undergone. She'd encouraged Kimber to be open with him, and tell him how she was feeling and why. And, she had, even though as she'd confessed it to him, she'd felt pretty dumb, because she'd known it wasn't his intention to flee. She knew damn well he loved her. And, of course he'd assured her he had absolutely no intentions to leave her, and that he cared for her deeply. And, for reassurance, he gave her an expensive, custom charm bracelet to which he'd already added a few charms: an "I Love You", a slice of pizza, and a briefcase. A just-because gift, just because she was so charming, he'd said, and kissed her before picking her up and carrying her off into the den, where he set her on a couch and made love to her again. No sweeter man had ever existed. In his arms, she'd always felt loved, and since they'd consummated the relationship, their love for each other had only grown deeper. And even though they were both quite sore, they couldn't seem to stop fucking each other, and even joined the mile-high club, though they were unable to finish.

Now they were in San Antonio, in a luxurious hotel room, doing their usual ritual of getting ready to go to the arena, sharing the double-vanity. They had to go in early, so that Kimber could receive her apology from Alexa. Now that she was back, Kimber was dreading going to work. Alexa had not reached out to her on her own to apologize, so Kimber doubted she was truly remorseful, and would undoubtedly continue her quest to destroy her. Even though Stephanie had promised she would absolutely not ever have to work with Alexa, she hadn't said anything about what the locker room situation was.

In the mirror, as he shaved and trimmed, Seth could see the apprehension all over her face, and stopped his grooming to comfort her. He folded her into his arms, and stroked her hair. Despite them just having fucked that morning upon awakening, and again after returning from a trip to a local gym, his touch stirred yearnings within her again, and she felt him grow hard against her hip. She couldn't help but reach down and touch him, caressing his long, hot, throbbing cock through the tight, dark blue boxer briefs he wore. His hands dropped down her back and stroked her ass before he picked her up and set her on the edge of the sink. She wrapped her legs around his back and kissed him, and in moments, he was inside her again, both of them howling in ecstasy.

They didn't realize the paper-thin quality of the bathroom wall until the occupant of the room next door began to bang on their side of the wall. They had probably been knocking the whole time, but in their throes of pleasure, the lovers hadn't noticed. Even though they were sweaty and spent now, the act over, the other person kept banging, and yelled _"Shut up!"_ which prompted Seth to hit the wall and reply: _"You shut up! We're done now!",_ which made Kimber laugh so hard she nearly fell off the sink.

When the couple arrived at the arena, they went right up to the makeshift office. Only Stephanie was there. She greeted them warmly, and told them Hunter had gone to see about something or another, and Alexa had not shown up yet. Kimber realized the severity of her physical discomfort while sitting on the hard metal chair and was grateful she did not have a match tonight, all she had to do was walk down to the ring with Seth when they were announced as a tag team for the tournament. There would be a little squabbling at the end of the segment, but as long as no one kicked her in the crotch, she reckoned she'd be okay. She felt as though she'd lost her virginity all over again, but despite the pain she was in, she found herself getting horny for him all over again, right there in Stephanie's office. She wanted him to bend her over the big, scratched-up anonymous desk and fill her aching pussy with his sore cock, again. It was so strange, being driven by instinct to fuck, even when she was hurting, and he couldn't seem to stop when it came to her, either. Even now, just holding her hand, the pants of his sexy black Armani suit were tented. She'd yet to truly explore the depths of his tight ass, nor had they engaged in any of their taboos since that night he'd brought her to a pissgasm. She was sure they would though, once the novelty of having sex died down...if ever.

"Kimber?" Stephanie asked, and Kimber realized she had not been paying any attention to one of her many bosses whatsoever.

"I'm sorry, I'm...kind of nervous about Alexa," Kimber lied. She was no longer nervous about Alexa, but thinking of possible locations in the arena to play with Seth before and possibly during the show.

"She has until one forty-five to show up," Stephanie began, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in."

Alexa entered, haughty and self-righteous as usual. _"Hi Seth! Hi Kimber!"_ She almost screamed, with forced cheerfulness. "Hello, boss. I knew you wouldn't let _me_ go." She pulled up an empty chair on the other side of Seth, and played with his collar. "Love your suit."

"It wasn't my choice to let you come back, but I'm here to see to it that you stick to your probation. Now-"

The door suddenly opened, and in walked Vince McMahon. A cold, victorious smile came over Alexa's face, and Kimber's hand tightened around her boyfriend's and began to sweat.

"Rollins, get out of here," the big boss grumbled.

"No, Seth, stay right where you are," Stephanie countered, and narrowed her eyes at her father. "Alexa was just about to make her apology to Kimber. So, let's hear it."

Alexa turned in her chair to address Kimber over Seth. "Kimber, I'm sorry I tried to make you mess yourself, and for the dog collar, and for taking your stuff," she stated, reciting her lines like the bad actress she was. Then she turned to Stephanie. "There. Can I go now?"

Stephanie was red-faced and silent with controlled anger, but Vince said: "Of course, let's go." And he followed triumphant Alexa out of the room.

Now that she knew the biggest boss of them all sided with Alexa, in addition to deploring her, and realizing she'd instigated a McMahon family feud, Kimber was devastated, scared for her career, and before she realized what was happening, she began to cry, right in front of Stephanie. Stephanie was saying something, and Seth was nodding, though his handsome face was still contorted in anger. He put an arm around his girl and walked her out of the office as she tried to get herself back under control. He led her to a small room, where Enzo Amore was holding court with a small group of ratchety-looking admirers.

"Get out of here!" Seth snapped at them, and Kimber managed to turn away just as one laughing guido snapped their picture. Seth grabbed for the phone, but didn't get it.

"Hey there rock star. You can't fucking touch me, I know that, so-" phone boy began.

"Yeah, you can't fucking touch any of us, we're guests," another guy added. "Ain't that right, Enz?"

"Yeah, Tone, that's right, but we gotta get goin' anyhow." Enzo's reply wasn't surprising to Kimber, because while Seth couldn't put his hands on Enzo's friends, he could put them on Enzo, and deal him a serious beating. The group took leave, and Kimber and Seth settled on the couch, which was still sickeningly warm from the asses of its previous occupants.

"Nothing's going to change," he told her. "You heard what Steph said."

"Well, no I didn't...I was just too fucking upset. The top boss hates me, and I put a wedge between him and his daughter."

"It's not your fault, my love. Alexa's the one who's to blame for that. And, it's not the first time they've clashed over someone's booking. Vince didn't like me at first, either, because I'm only six-one and two-seventeen. And, I'll admit that I was really disrespectful to damn near everyone at first. If not for Hunter's intervention, I would have been fired before my first week at the training center was over. Now he likes me, but it's only because I make him money, not because I've learned to shut up and do what I'm told."

He stroked and petted her reassuringly, and in his arms, she relaxed rather than becoming aroused for the first time in days, and she remembered it was an exciting night. WWE was going to acknowledge them as a real-life couple, and even if it was for nothing more than to make money off of them, she didn't care, because she wanted the world to know how much she loved her man. While training together at D&D, they had discovered that their chemistry carried right over into the ring, and they were able to develop a handful of perfectly timed double-moves to use on their opponents, as well as a spectacular entrance they didn't yet know whether they'd be allowed to use. Their entrance tonight, to Seth's music, had already been planned for them; hand in hand, raise hands, Seth was to draw her in, they were to kiss, and continue down to the ring, up the steps, Seth first, because he was to hold the ropes open for her, face the cameras, and repeat the scene from the ramp. So classically romantic, and Kimber was looking forward to it.

But, first she had to get ready, which meant going to the locker room. Though she tried not to dread it, she was all the same, but when she walked in, Alexa wasn't there, and everyone else greeted her with respectful handshakes, if not warm hugs. She settled down beside Bayley, who was lacing up her boots, and began getting ready. Bayley was also being announced for the tournament as half of a non-couple team, the other half being Elias Sampson.

As she stripped out of her dress clothes, she stole glimpses of Bayley, to see if she was noticing. But she didn't seem to be, until Kimber was turned to the side, pulling her outfit out of her bag, and she giggled, and gently touched Kimber's love-marked shoulder. There were more hickeys there than ever before. "I didn't know Seth was part vampire," the pretty brunette playfully teased.

"You should see what I did to his back. I didn't realize I was doing it at the time, but I clawed the fuck out of him. He'll have to keep his shirt on tonight." Kimber smirked, then her mouth helplessly spread into a silly, in-love smile, and she blushed. "And, his shirt will hide the hickeys." She looked at it before pulling it on. It was an older style, the one he wore when he returned from his first knee injury, the same one she'd laughed at, _Redesign, Rebuild, Re-injure!_ She had cut away that part, converting it into some kind of hybrid halter crop top, his initials on the front left untouched. She paired it with her black cargo capris; her new ring gear had not yet arrived, of course, so tonight she was maintaining her look while advertising for him rather than the Hardy Boyz. She'd swapped her usual leather and steel cuffs for his wristbands, too.

"Awww, you're so cute!" Bayley exclaimed. "I need to give you a hug!" She pulled Kimber to her breasts, and Kimber of course returned the embrace, loving the feeling of Bayley's nice rack against her cheek, but the moment was interrupted by the arrival of Alexa.

Alexa did not shake anyone's hand, just set her bag down, and unzipped it. Kimber was suddenly furious, and released herself from her crush's clutch, and went right up to Alexa, hoping like hell someone would side with her if it came down to it. She didn't care if Vince hated her up until the bitter end of her time in WWE, whenever that would be, she no longer cared about looking out for her career, she had to look out for her own well-being first. What good was living the high life if she was too emotionally damaged to enjoy it?

She seized Alexa's bag.

"Hey! What the fuck do you think you're doing, bitch?"

"Going to feed Oscar the Grouch." She slung Alexa's bag over her shoulder, and glared down at her.

"What?"

"I'm taking out the trash, meaning you. You are no longer welcome to use the women's locker room," Kimber informed her.

"Excuse me, but that's not your decision to make," Alexa replied, snootily.

Kimber stepped in mere inches from her face, close enough to kiss her had she wanted, and looked into her eyes, and saw fear there. Good. "Tell me again it ain't my decision to make."

"It's _not_ your decision to make! You just can't come in here five months after signing, all walking tall queen of the world just because you're banging a big fucking hero, and start calling the shots! You don't have a say in _shit!"_ Alexa screeched, all but having a tantrum like the spoiled brat she was.

"I have been in the professional wrestling industry since I was nineteen years old. I've worked in promotions all over the world, helped to build a promotion, trained under some of the greatest men and women to ever set foot in a ring, opened a wrestling school, and I'm proud to say that our very first student has just signed with New Japan. I may not have been in WWE long, but I know that women like you do nothing but instigate drama and tension between everyone, and that spills over into the shows, and not only does it make women's wrestling look like a joke, it cheats the audience, and the audience is what makes us money. You're toxic." Kimber turned away, and after making sure everyone was adequately dressed, threw open the locker room door and heaved Alexa's bag out and down the hall as far as she could before turning back to her. "Get the fuck out."

Someone began clapping, and soon everyone else had joined in, including a few people out in the hall, and the clapping got louder as Alexa went out, head down in defeat, and picked up her bag. Kimber watched her go down the hall and turn a corner, then stepped back inside and let the door shut behind her.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28 – The Baby Shower**

Kimber didn't think of the possible repercussions she'd face for kicking what was apparently Vince's new pet out of the locker room until she was kissing Seth goodbye and good luck outside of another one the next night. In the day that had passed, she hadn't received any emails or phone calls that she was in trouble, and _Smackdown_ was still scheduled to go on as usual, her role for the night on commentary for two of the women's matches, the ones which were to determine the final two contenders for the title at _SummerSlam._

Alexa wasn't in the locker room, but her coworkers were quick to tell her that she had tried to come in, and that they had prevented it. They told her she was right about everything she'd said when she'd thrown Alexa out the night before, and apologized for what they had done to her when she first arrived. Kimber forgave them. There were lots of hugs, and a lot of them cried, but she didn't, for she had already cried more than she ever had in her life since joining the main roster. Then, Carmella caught sight of Kimber's charm bracelet, and everyone admired the wrist they'd once injured, and giggled at the pizza charm. After she told them that it was over a pizza that she and Seth first began to like each other, they "Awww"'d at the romantic gift. As they got dressed, they discussed the really big event of the night, Renee and Dean's baby shower.

Kimber resurrected her outfit from last night, swapping the Seth Rollins shirt for her own merchandise, but she kept the wristbands, to which she'd added an "I" and a heart with paint markers, Bayley's idea. When they were dressed, the women headed out to the room that had been set up for Renee and Dean, and admired the decorations, the cake, and the food that the caterers were still in the process of setting up. Kimber had already sent her (and Seth's; he'd paid for half) gifts to their house, one fancy and frivolous (a small, handmade musical silk pillow that played "You Are My Sunshine" and cost more than Kimber had made after a month of shows when she was first starting out), and a bunch practical (several boxes of nursing pads, diapers, and wipes).

Then, Kimber was thrown a curve ball. While waiting to make her entrance, unfamiliar music played, but production shoved her out anyway. New entrance music, and no one had told her. Fortunately, it was actually pretty good, much better than what she'd had, with eerie Hardy Boyz undertones. And, she knew just what to do. She jumped right into her old indie entrance, slightly modified due to the briefcase in her hand.

On commentary, she was prompted to use "Here, where I belong" for the first time as a catch phrase. She wasn't surprised in the context, the lead in was something like "You know there are other superstars who doubt your place here, that think your winning the Money in the Bank briefcase was a fluke. Do you have anything to say about that?" from Tom Phillips.

Kimber had wanted to go off-script, and give a reply similar to her mini-speech the night before, in the locker room, but she stuck to her lines, even though she knew her way was better. If Vince had decided to hint about the drama that his daughter and son in-law were fighting to keep private, she thought the audience watching at home at least ought to have an insight to the truth. But one thing she was learning, that her rebellious nature fought tooth and nail, was that it was the WWE way, or the highway. As someone who'd held a vital role in pretty much all areas of a promotion, whose wrestling, writing, booking, and story lines had helped make that ratchet promotion into a success, she knew that sometimes, the WWE way was just wrong. And woe to any superstar who didn't kiss Vince's ass, unless they could somehow manage to make themselves important to another McMahon. Although Hunter had spoken very highly of her, and moved her on to the main roster ahead of women who'd been in NXT much longer, she knew that he protected her mostly because she was the much-loved girlfriend of his protege. Any rebellion on her part could mean punishment for Seth, as well, so she would have to do whatever she was told to do, say whatever she was given to say, and she imagined herself a marionette, with Vince up in the scaffolds, pulling the strings. She suffered from the same sometimes fatal flaw that many indie performers bore; she thought there was no greater character for her to play besides herself, because she was awesome.

During commercial breaks during the back-to-back semi-final matches, Kimber chatted with the fans behind her, took pictures with them, and even signed a few things. She knew she was taking a risk, as she'd not been told to do this, but the only thing she'd gotten a talking-to about later was her choice of accessories, not only because she was not supposed to "flaunt" her relationship with Seth, aside from while they were working the tournament, or promoting it, but because she'd "defaced" them, too. But, it was only a gentle reprimand, from Stephanie, who also complimented her improvised new entrance, and apologized for the sudden change. Kimber didn't waste the opportunity to tell her that she and Seth had worked out an entrance for their tournament matches. Even if her ideas would be ultimately dismissed by Vince, she still wanted to show that she had them. She wouldn't be surprised if "I Love Seth Rollins" wristbands were soon available for purchase online and at live events, though she couldn't take credit for that idea.

After changing into a black and white terry sweatsuit and Adidas flip-flops, she met her guy in the hallway, and hand in hand, they went to the baby shower, which was already well underway. They found Renee and Dean sitting on a couch, surrounded by gifts, toys, cards, balloons, and flowers. Seth was blushing, and Kimber laughed. Dean hopped up to cede his spot to her, and gave Renee a kiss.

"Going to the boys' room," he told her, and nodded discretely at Seth.

Seth leaned in to kiss his girl. "Excuse me, love, seems Dean needs some help in the bathroom." He said it jokingly, but his face was redder than ever. He turned to Renee, and gave her a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations."

Renee smiled. "Thank you. I'm so happy you and Dean are friends again."

"Me too," Seth replied.

"Come on, Seth!" Dean urged.

"Excuse me, ladies." He went off with Dean, though Kimber doubted the men's room was their destination. She struggled again with whether or not to tell Renee what was really going on between their men.

"You had a lot to do with bringing them together," Renee told her.

 _Oh, if only you knew,_ Kimber thought. She realized that by dropping a slight hint or two, she could at least figure out whether she suspected anything. "I guess maybe I did. Back when I first met him, under those unfortunate circumstances, I could tell he was hurting about something. He was pissed off all the time, frazzled."

Renee nodded. "Yeah, he was kind of a mess all around."

"Well, because of my situation, we had to get comfortable with each other pretty quick. That turned out to be a lot easier than either of us could have expected, and I started seeing a different side of him. Anyway, one night he took me out drinking after the show, and got drunk. He got all emotional, and said that he really missed Dean. The next day, when he was sober, I told him he should mend the friendship."

 _"Renee!"_ Several women who worked backstage rushed over to give the expectant mother their congratulations before taking off to raid the buffet.

"Thank goodness you did," Renee replied, when the well-wishers had gone. "Dean refused to discuss it at all, but he was depressed and irritable like a teenager who'd just gone through a breakup." She giggled a little, and Kimber definitely knew she should giggle harder, for if she did nothing less, it would be the give that she knew what Renee must suspect. The tentative laugh was Renee's give.

Kimber's strong one would not be hers. "Poor Dean," she added, to top it off. "No matter how old you are, it still sucks to fight with a friend."

Renee agreed. "Yes. I'm so happy they're friends again." She caressed her tummy.

"Me too. It's a good thing for both of them. They need each other," Kimber said, carefully. She'd almost said _They love each other._ What she wouldn't have given to be a fly on the wall wherever they were. She knew Seth was prepped, she'd seen the enema boxes in the trash, he'd been planning on getting fucked tonight.

More people came to congratulate Renee, and inquire about the growing absence of Dean, and chat with Kimber about her awesome new entrance, and she joked about filling in for Dean, saying she would also fill in as birth coach if needed. But, Renee was starting to look and act anxious and embarrassed about her husband's failure to return after twenty minutes, and Kimber sent a text to Seth to raise the alarm.

A few minutes later, Dean and Seth reemerged from the crowd, with plates of food piled high from the buffet, all smiles and love for the women in their lives. Kimber could tell the men had done a lot more than just take a bathroom break. Seth had re-wet his hair, and Dean was looking somewhat flushed, though that may have been from drinking, but they both looked happy, satisfied, and relieved. She thanked Seth for the plate of food, and balanced it across her knees. She was pleased with his choices, except for the pasta salad. She'd always hated pasta salads, with the exception of one a second cousin had made for a long-ago family reunion. But, there was no way he could have known that, and everything else on the plate showed that he was an attentive boyfriend who knew her well.

When the party was over, Kimber and Seth stayed behind to pack up all of the gifts for shipping, and she spoke very softly, even though they were alone in the room. "Renee doesn't know, does she?"

Seth shook his head. "No way."

"Dean needs to tell her. Not now, but after she has the baby. I kind of felt her out tonight while you guys were gone. She seems to have some suspicion. You should let him know."

"I know, this whole thing would be a lot easier if Dean and I didn't have to sneak around." He held the flaps on a box down, so she could tape it shut.

"Speaking of sneaking around, where did you dirty little fuckers sneak off to tonight?" Kimber wanted to know.

Seth grinned. "The conference room."

"Oh, fuck! You didn't?"

"Oh yes we did. Right on the table."

"Daaaaamn..." Kimber drawled. "I didn't interrupt it, did I?"

"No, we were in the locker room when I got your text. We'd already gotten cleaned up and all." He watched her write Renee and Dean's address on one of the boxes. "I feel bad about Renee. But, I just can't leave him, not any more than I could leave you. You guys are my heart."

"She really needs to be in the know; she should have been told by now." Kimber put the address on the second and last big box, and used Seth's as the return, with her name, because that's where they were stopping next, before heading to Boston for SummerSlam Week. "But, it's not on either of us to tell her, Dean has to be the one to do that. Do you know why he hasn't?"

"He's scared. He doesn't think she'll be open to sharing him with me, and she might even divorce him, which would devastate him, especially now that they're going to have a baby."

"We sometimes underestimate our partners. Could be she would be accepting. I don't know her well enough to say one way or the other."

Seth hugged her. "I _never_ underestimate you, when it comes to anything."

Kimber kissed him. "I don't underestimate you, either, darling, even though you brought me _pasta salad,_ eew." She picked up the heavier of the two boxes, and he took the other, then, ever the gentleman, forced her to switch.

"You didn't mention it on your list of Kimber's inedibles," he teased, as they walked out to the rental car.

"Yes, but I mentioned raw onions, and that shit was teeming with 'em." She shuddered involuntarily. "I pretty much hate onions altogether, but the only vegetable nastier than a raw onion is a water chestnut. Gross." She unlocked the SUV, and loaded her box and gym bag in the back.

Seth did the same, then pulled out his phone while Kimber did the driving. "Fucking Enzo," he snapped. "Someone just sent me a link to the pictures that Enzo's buddy snapped last night. He went and posted them online. Now people are saying that I have anger issues, that I made you cry, possibly because I abuse you, and that I tried to attack Enzo's friend. Well, I guess the part about trying to attack Enzo's friend is true, but fuck. Really don't need this right now, or ever."

"I'll issue a statement as soon as we get back to the hotel."

And she did. First, she looked at Enzo's friend's post. Three pictures, and in the first one, the wannabe paparazzi had caught her crying. In the second one, she was mostly turned away, towards Seth, who was clearly angry, and the third one was of furious Seth grabbing for the phone. The friend had written: _Raging asshole Seth Rollins on a rampage before RAW, tried to attack me, and his old lady's in tears. Something wrong here._ His followers picked up quick and ran with it, she only allowed herself to scan the comments, and didn't see any yet from anyone she worked with, so hers would be the first that mattered, good.

Kimber wrote: _I'll tell you what's wrong here, and it has nothing to do with Seth and me, we're more in love than ever, thank you very much. It has to do with asshats like you showing up where they're not wanted and harassing people who are just trying to work. I was upset and Seth was trying to comfort me, like the good man he is. He wasn't pissed off until you had to go and take a pic of what should have been a private moment, and if you felt so threatened, why did you keep taking pics? Next time, stay home and mind your own business._ She might get in trouble for using the word "asshats", but oh freaking well.

Once Kimber's reply hit the WWE media, their coworkers joined in the comment section. Even though the couple knew they should go to bed, after all, they had a flight to catch tomorrow, and had to drop off the boxes at UPS before that, they stayed up to see the tide turn against Enzo's friend, and the real issues at hand became guests backstage, and invasion of privacy.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29 – Perversion and Tenderness**

Kimber had never been busier than she was during _SummerSlam_ week. Every day was filled to the brim with meet and greets, public appearances, interviews, photo shoots, and taped promos, and every night, she and Seth collapsed into their hotel bed too exhausted to do anything more than just embrace each other and fall asleep, even though they were often apart all day long, their new companions being talent relations reps and security personnel as they went about doing what famous people do. Kimber liked her personal bouncer, a tall, dark ex-Marine who always made her laugh, and loathed her handler, a stuffy, anally-retentive woman with carroty hair and a sickeningly wan complexion who'd snapped at her for drinking too much water and coffee when she'd told her she needed to go to the bathroom before a three-hour long autograph signing.

Their only day off was Saturday, and it was only the day they had off, for they had to go to the NXT show that night, and the party afterwards. They slept in very late. When Kimber awoke, her hand and wrist were throbbing clear up to her elbow from signing so much crap over the past few days. She was glad she wasn't cashing in tomorrow. The latest plan was to have her cash in at _Survivor Series,_ following the loss of the _RAW_ to _Smackdown_ in the traditional elimination tag match, though she was to tease it very heavily during the women's championship match, Nia versus Bayley.

Seth was still asleep, and she didn't want to wake him, so she took a rare shower alone, and was surprised at how strange it felt after almost always showering with her boyfriend, or with a woman or few. She half-expected Seth would wake up and join her, and wanted him to, but he still hadn't come in by the time she turned off the taps. After drying off and wrapping her hair in the towel, she realized she'd locked the door, he couldn't come in without jimmying the lock.

She opened the door to find him hunched over on the edge of the bed, holding himself. He'd pulled on a pair of gray boxer briefs, and she could see he'd already gotten wet. No, she had not locked the door on purpose, but since she had, an opportunity presented itself, and she would take full advantage of it. "Oh my, you really need to go, don't you?" She asked, in her coyest voice.

"Yes," he replied quickly, then gasped and rocked back and forth.

"Poor thing. I didn't realize I'd locked the door." Kimber stroked his hair, and he whimpered. "Come on." She nudged him.

Seth shook his head. "If I even move my little toe right now I'm going to piss everywhere, I mean it..."

Kimber unwound the towel from her hair and spread it on the floor in front of him. She knelt down upon it, and put her hands upon his wet ones and tried to pull them away from his dick.

"Kimber, don't-"

"Darling, it's okay. You can let go." She dropped her hands to his hips. "Come here."

"That towel isn't going to soak up everything," he protested.

"Seth, darling, it's a hotel room. People do all kinds of stuff on the floor, well, not just the floor, but all over the place. Now let go of your cock. You know it belongs to me." She flashed him a smile, and despite the pain he was in, her boyfriend returned it. He finally lifted his hands, and Kimber replaced them with one of her own. He was hard, probably the only thing saving him from releasing a flood of hot piss. Her other hand went to his bladder, and immediately he began to protest.

"No honey, please don't, please..." Seth panted, as she traced the visible bulge of his bursting bladder.

"I would never hurt you, my love," she replied, and leaned up briefly to kiss him, never letting go of his cock. "But right now, you are only hurting yourself, holding on to all of this." She ran her fingertips gently around the contour of his bladder, and a low whine escaped her lover's lips as yet another squirt of piss escaped his dick and wet his drawers even more.

"Yes, that's it, my love," Kimber said encouragingly, and let go of his dick to take him by the hips and tug him in the direction she wanted him, downwards. His hands immediately went for his now-dripping crotch, but Kimber grabbed them first, and pulled him down on top of her, in her lap, feeling his warm piss run all over her thighs and between them. "Yes, darling, just let go."

Seth let out a slow, shaky breath, and gave up the fight. As the piss flooded his boxers, her lap, and soaked into the towel and carpet beneath them, he locked his lips down on hers in the sweetest, most passionate kiss imaginable. Kimber reached into his lap with both hands, into the small, hot pool he was creating, and literally ripped off the cheap gray undies, freeing his cock to piss all over her colorful body. She broke their kiss to moan in pleasure, then giggle as she playfully squeezed the dripping, torn undies over his shoulders, anointing him with his piss. He grinned. "Dirty little fucker."

"No, I'm the dirtiest little fucker, remember?"

"Of course," he agreed. "And, if you want me to get wet, there is an easier way." He took control of his cock, and aimed up at himself, and pissed in his face and hair and managed to catch a mouthful before he stopped pissing, and spit it playfully on to Kimber's rack.

She rubbed it in, and played with her nipples while giving him a feral, wild look, and he responded in like, pushing her to the wet floor, and biting her shoulder to begin another hickey. Their pissy-slick bodies moved together nicely, and even though it was getting cold fast, Kimber wanted him to fuck her in his piss puddle, the one she had caused him to make. She shifted her legs, and locked them around his back, so he couldn't escape, and thrust her hands into his morning-messy hair to guide his lips from her shoulder, which was now a little tender from the latest love bite. She vaguely wondered if she'd ever be able to wear anything but a t-shirt to the ring again.

But, it didn't matter, it didn't matter at all. They were kissing, and caressing each others pissy wet skin, and she felt his cock poking at her. She reached down and guided him inside of her, and let herself go with his rhythm, the pleasure, the moment.

Kimber attended the NXT show, and the party afterwards, with Seth and Bayley. She and Bayley both wore little black dresses, red lipstick, and wore their black hair down, in loose curls, and still managed to look nothing alike, but stunning all the same. Seth was very proud to go about with a beautiful woman on each arm, but he was distracted, too, checking his phone often, for a text from Dean to say he'd arrived. It would be Kimber's first chance to be alone with Bayley, but she had not talked about her feelings for Bayley with Seth yet, though she had talked about them with Raven, who naturally gave her the green light. Also, she had no idea how Bayley felt about her, other than being friends.

And, she didn't really feel so hot. Her PMDD was flaring up pretty badly on the physical side. She was bloated, tired, achy, and slightly nauseated. Seth offered her a drink, but she shook her head and waved it away. "I don't feel well." Even as she said it aloud, the nausea increased. "I'm going to call it a night." She gave Bayley a hug. "Take good care of Seth, don't let him drink too much," she joked, and tried to smile, but she felt too cruddy.

"I hope you feel better." Bayley gave her another squeeze. "See you tomorrow. okay?"

Kimber nodded, and turned to her guy. "I'll see you upstairs." She leaned in to kiss him, and he stopped her.

"I'm coming with you," he told her.

"You don't have to."

"I want to," he told her. He slammed his drink, then gave Bayley a hug. "Goodnight. See you tomorrow." He put an arm around his girl's shoulders, and walked her out.

"It's just my PMDD," Kimber said, once they were in the elevator. "You can go back down there if you want. I know you were supposed to meet up with Dean tonight."

Seth shook his head. "It would be selfish of me to go be with him when you need my attention and care." He stroked her curls. "I learn from my mistakes."

"Darling, I'll be fine. I'm not an emotional wreck, I'm experiencing the physical symptoms. I just want to take some ibuprofen and curl up in bed with some hot cocoa and book or maybe some _King of the Hill_ reruns."

Seth held her tight. "Sounds good to me."

In their room, Kimber changed into baggy Adidas sweats and a wifebeater, and twisted her hair into a simple dew-drop ponytail while Seth ordered hot cocoa from room service. His voice had an edge to it she hadn't heard in awhile, but she recognized it immediately. He was unhappy.

But, when he turned around, he smiled at her, though there was something false about it. "It'll be right up."

"Dean stood you up." She said, softly. It was not a question, because she already knew.

"Yeah he did. That's not why I'm with you and not him, however. Even if he had showed up to the party, I'd still be here with you, because you need me more than he does right now. I love you, and I want to take care of you when you're sick," he explained, while swapping his Armani suit (a pre-SummerSlam Week gift from Kimber) for sweats and one of his wrestling school t-shirts.

"Just girl stuff, but I won't lie, you being here does mean a lot to me." She ran her fingers through his hair, and stood on tiptoe to softly kiss him.

And he eagerly reciprocated, and his warm, strong arms encircled her waist as he fed from her lips until there was a knock at their door, the cocoa had arrived. They plopped down on the bed with the oversize mugs. "Read or TV?" He asked.

"I sort of have a headache, so let's try TV."

He handed her the remote. "Did you want some ibuprofen?"

"Yes, it's in my makeup bag in the bathroom. Could you grab me a package of my Belvita crackers, too? Maybe I won't feel so sick if I get something in my stomach."

"What's wrong, exactly?" Seth asked, from the bathroom, and stepped out with the pill bottle, and grabbed a package of her crackers off the table.

"Thank you, darling. It's just the physical symptoms of my PMDD at their worst. Headache, breast pain, joint pain, nausea, backache, cramps, bloating, the gang's all here." Kimber swallowed some pain relief, and began dunking her crackers in her cocoa. "When I feel this cruddy, the period that follows is usually so painful and... Fuck, why am I telling you this? You're a guy, you don't want to hear about this shit."

"Baby, I'm not just a guy, I'm your guy, and I'm here for you. You can tell me anything."

"I guess. At least I'm not an emotional wreck, that's something." She flipped through the channels and found an old episode of _Robot Chicken._ "Really glad I'm not cashing in tomorrow. I never thought I'd say that, because I wanted to cash in at _SummerSlam_ more than anything since I heard I would be Miss Money in the Bank."

"It's WWE, my love. You _could_ be cashing it in tomorrow. Remember, I didn't know more than twenty minutes beforehand that I'd be cashing in."

Kimber set her mug and remaining crackers on the night table, and curled up with Seth. "Any day but tomorrow," she said, and yawned.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30 – A Plague Upon** _ **SummerSlam**_

Kimber still didn't feel well the next morning. The first thing she did was dash to the bathroom and throw up. It alleviated her nausea, but zapped her of her strength, and after brushing her teeth, she went right back to bed. She moved as far from Seth as possible, to minimize his chances of catching whatever she had apparently picked up from some fan at one of her public appearances; she had come to the conclusion it was no longer merely her PMDD, she was sick. She wondered if anyone else was dealing with it, illnesses tended to move through the whole roster, and hoped she hadn't passed it on to her boyfriend, or to Bayley; they'd all shared a bag of cotton candy at the show last night.

In a few minutes, she found out Seth had also caught the bug, when he got up and ran to the bathroom just as she had. Kimber groped on the night table for her phone, not opening her eyes until she had it in her hands, because her nausea had returned. She checked her email and found one from Hunter. She and her boyfriend were not the only ones laid up with flu-like symptoms. A good deal of the people participating in _SummerSlam_ had reported being ill. Regardless of whether or not they were sick, the show must go on. IV fluids would be available at the arena. The meeting before the show would be held via phone conference, changes would be made to the matches involving those who were ill, though the card could not be changed. WWE would not be releasing a statement about the illness, so nobody was to post anything on social media about it. Everyone was encouraged to rest up and stay hydrated, and if anyone else reading the message was sick, reply to him right away.

So, she did just that, letting him know that she and Seth were also ill. Just to type the words brought the gore rising anew, and she hurried out of bed to bang on the bathroom door.

"I can't get off the toilet now," Seth replied, and gagged, sending Kimber in search of the trash can.

She didn't throw up again. After dry-heaving over the trash can, she felt almost normal. She certainly wasn't as sick as her boyfriend, who'd finally stumbled out of the bathroom, wrapped himself up in the bedding, and tossed and turned and moaned for a few minutes before returning to the bathroom. She needed to go and get sick people supplies while she still felt well enough to do so.

On the night table, Seth's phone was ringing, and to her amusement, it was the Shield theme music. On the screen, she could see the caller was Dean, and she picked it up. "Hello?"

"Kimber? Is Seth around?"

"Yeah, but he's on the pot. There's a plague upon this room," Kimber replied, and couldn't help but add a short chuckle, even though there was really nothing funny about it.

"That's what I was afraid of. Seems there's a plague upon _SummerSlam._ But, I've been spared...so far. Are you sick, too, or just Seth?" Dean asked.

"Well, I'm not as sick as he is. I only puked once, and he's throwing it off both ends."

"Do you want me to bring anything over?"

"Are you sure you want to risk it?"

Dean laughed. "I'll tie a bandana over my nose and mouth, like a cowboy. I've always wanted to be a cowboy. So, just general sick people stuff for you guys?"

"Yes, please. Sprite, saltines, jello, Powerade, maybe some apple juice. Immodium. Pepto-bismol. And, some Febreeze for the bathroom and Clorox wipes for the taps and doorknobs."

"Alrighty, I'll be there in a half-hour or so. What room are you guys in?"

"Five-seventeen. I'll draw a skull and crossbones on the door."

Dean arrived half an hour later, just like he'd said, and Kimber laughed to see he'd tied a yellow Hulkamania bandana over his face up to his eyes, and completed the look with a random cowboy hat. But rather than a lasso and pistol, he had the items she'd requested, and she busied herself with the Febreeze and Clorox wipes in the bathroom so that he could talk to bed-bound Seth without her hovering around. Bits and pieces of their talk carried over to her, Dean promising to carry the burden of their match tonight, a snappish, bitter reply from Seth, softness and apology from Dean. When she came from the bathroom, Dean gave her a hug.

"I've got a lot more sick folks to look in on," he told her.

Seth, who'd turned on his side away from them, mumbled something that sounded like _I'm sure you do._ Dean blushed. "I'll come back for the meeting."

Kimber decided to test her newfound okay feelings with a little Sprite and crackers rather than ask her boyfriend about the drama he was having with his boyfriend. She poured a little Sprite for him into a plastic cup, and set it down on the night table, along with two Immodium pills. His hand shot out from under the blankets and snared the items.

"Jerk," he mumbled. "Unfeeling son of a bitch asshole motherfucking fuck face."

"Beg pardon?" Kimber asked.

"Not you, my love. I can't believe everyone's sick today, I can't believe I'm sick today. And along comes Dean, after not returning any of my texts last night, in the peak of health and tells me not to worry, because he'll carry our side of the match. He didn't even apologize for standing me up. What a big fucking hero."

"Seth darling, it was still very kind of him to come by and bring us some supplies." Kimber replied, as she unpacked the bags. "And, by the time your match comes, you might feel a lot better, I already do, and I first started feeling sick last night."

"You're not sick with the same thing I have. You didn't get the shits, I didn't get any pain, aside from what's associated with...purging."

Kimber shuddered. "That's a nasty word, purging. Viruses affect people differently. I'm not prone to mud butt, even when I get the stomach flu. But, I throw up a lot more than most people do. Like if I eat something bad, I throw up pretty much right away, and I'm okay after that, whereas other people would get the shits hours later, for hours."

"And this is a nasty conversation," Seth replied. "Um, this is kind of out of left field, but it's something that's been nagging at me since last night, when you said you weren't feeling well. I don't know how to say it, so I'm just going to ask. Do you think that maybe...I, um, knocked you up?"

Kimber wanted to laugh, but Seth's face, half scared and half hopeful, stopped her from doing so. "Highly unlikely. I have an IUD, remember?"

"Yeah, but nothing's foolproof."

"Point eight percent."

"What?"

"That's the failure rate for my brand of IUD. I think I would know if I was pregnant, darling."

"Have you ever been pregnant before?"

"No, not even a scare," Kimber replied, truthfully, for she'd always taken precautions, long before she was even sexually active, prescribed various birth control pills in an attempt to relieve her PMDD. She'd opted for the long-term IUD, and self-management of her PMDD, a few months after moving to Milwaukee.

"Then how would you know if you were pregnant or not?" Seth prodded.

"I don't know. I would think I would feel different somehow. And, all I feel different is my PMDD is a little worse than usual, which happens once or twice a year."

"Do you usually throw up from it?"

"Not usually, but today wasn't the first time it's happened. Trust me, darling, I'm not pregnant, and if you want me to go take a test right now, I will."

"No, I trust you. And, it's probably not a good idea for you to buy a pregnancy test anywhere around here."

"Oh, no. That's one rumor I don't want to start. I'll order a test online, and have it sent to your place, so it'll be there on Wednesday. I'll probably have started my period by then, though." Which was going to really suck on the flight to Davenport. The change in pressure, possibly being stuck in her seat for an extended amount of time, she wasn't looking forward to it.

Seth shrugged. "Can you pour me a little more Sprite?"

At the arena, Seth went to get an IV, and Kimber got ready in a small room by herself, because she was trying to minimize her contact with sick people. There wasn't a lock on the door, so she got into her _SummerSlam_ outfit as quickly as possible. No mirror, either, but not a problem, she had one in the lid of her makeup case.

She was fixing her hair when the door opened, and Alexa walked in. "Well, what do we have here in _my_ private dressing room? What _are_ you doing here, Kimber? Did you get kicked out of the locker room _again?"_

Kimber gave her a smile that was more sly than friendly, and continued doing her hair and touching up her makeup as she spoke. "I'm avoiding the sick. You know, earlier today Dean said there's a plague upon _SummerSlam._ And, he's right. But it's not the flu. It's _you._ You make everyone sick." Finished, she closed her makeup case, and packed everything in her gym bag. "See you tonight."

She left her archenemy and headed off in search of Seth, and found him at the other end of a hallway, with Dean. Dean was already in his Shield gear, Seth was not. They were arguing. She couldn't hear that, because they were whispering, but she could see it in their body language, especially Seth's, because she knew him so well. She could see he was hurt, angry, and Dean's head was bowed in submissive apology. He lifted his head to speak, and touched one of his lover's folded arms, and he pulled away, said something else, and left, turning right and out of her sight. Deserted Dean leaned back against the wall.

Kimber stepped out from behind a cart, and walked up to Dean. "Hey Kimberoo," he said, and gave her a forced smile.

She laughed. "Kimberoo?"

"Sure, why not? It's cute, like you."

"Oh, Deano, you terrible flirt. I'm not _that_ cute. But, I have to admit, it's better than say, Kimbo. Have you seen Seth?" She asked, as if she hadn't seen their lovers' spat.

"Um, yeah... He said he was going to get ready, so I guess he's in the locker room. Did you get IV fluids, too?" He asked quickly, clearly wanting to change the subject.

"No, not necessary. I'm one hundred percent now."

"A very quick recovery."

"Mhmm. I'm going to hit up the buffet, I'm starving, and I want to avoid sick people. If you see Seth, tell him that's where I'll probably be hanging out until the show starts."


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31 –** _ **SummerSlam**_ **Fallout**

Two and a half minutes after Bayley pinned Nia, and became the women's champion again, her music stopped, and Kimber's began, and she tore down the entrance ramp with her Money in the Bank briefcase. The crowd went wild, believing Kimber was going to cash in. But, she did not. Instead, she stood outside the ring, smiling at her bewildered friend, who gave every impression that she believed Kimber was about to stab her in the back. She set her briefcase down on the apron, and jumped up there herself, both feet at the same time, impressive, thank you, crossfit. She picked up her briefcase and stepped through the ropes. The ref did his part, asking her if she was cashing in. She did not reply. Instead, she offered her hand to Bayley, who was lying exhausted on the mat, holding her newly-won prize. Bayley looked doubtful, but Kimber thrust her hand out again, and Bayley shrugged, and took it, and was helped to her feet, and had her hand raised. Together, the two most powerful women on the active roster stood united, the champ and Miss Money in the Bank. And, of course, a big hug-o-war followed, which Kimber was reluctant to participate in, because Bayley had the flu, too, but she had to do what she was told.

After the show, Seth insisted she go to the after party and have a good time rather than hanging around the sickroom with him. Kimber wasn't sure how good of a time she could have with so few people healthy enough to attend, but she decided to go, anyway, and bring Money in the Bank, like always. Outside the hall, Dean was waiting, his newly-won tag title draped over his shoulder. With it, he became the first member of the Shield to do the WWE version of the Triple Crown, win all current titles.

"Hey Deano."

"Howdy, Kimberoo. Do you have a date for the party, pretty girl?"

Kimber looked around. "Why, it seems I'm alone. And, it's simply not proper for a lady to be...unescorted." She said, in her best Southern belle character.

Dean smiled, and held out his arm. "May I?"

Kimber laced hers through it. "Thank you. You are quite a gentleman."

He led her over to the bar. "What would you like to drink?"

"Do you all have diet Dew?" She asked the bartender.

"Yes we do," he replied.

"Sweet, I'll have one of those, no ice, and put a little cherry syrup in it to make it a Code Red," Kimber told him, and Dean ordered a beer.

"Not partying tonight?" He asked her, after they'd been given their drinks and found a quiet booth to sit in.

"No, we've got to work tomorrow. I try not to drink when I have to work the next night, because I know I'm not at my best. I don't like to work sloppy and cheat the fans, who paid to watch me wrestle or listen to me run my script. I believe I owe them to put on the best possible show, no matter what's going on in my life at the time I rise above it." She said the last sentence with special emphasis, and Dean looked embarrassed.

"I know our match was shit tonight. I tried my best, but I think with Seth being sick, he just didn't have it in him to look beyond being pissed off at me." His embarrassment morphed into shame and he stared down at his bottle. "And, he's got every right to be."

 _Oh, were you a bad boy, Deano?_ Kimber wanted to ask, but she didn't want to make a joke out of the situation. The man she loved had been hurt by the man he loved. She reached out and touched Dean's arm. "I'm sure that no matter what you did, he'll get over it."

Dean shook his head. "I don't know. I told him I'd be with him last night, and then I stood him up."

"Deano, that's such a minor thing." Kimber said, and took a sip of her pop. It didn't sit well in her stomach, and after childishly fishing out an ice cube to suck on, pushed her beverage to the side.

"It would be easy for him to forgive me if that was all it was. But, I slept with Roman," he confessed, and raised his eyes to see her reaction.

Kimber used her tongue to slide the ice into one cheek. "And you didn't talk it over with Seth first."

"No. I just...couldn't help it."

"I'd be pissed off at you, too. You didn't take his feelings into consideration. Did you tell him that you 'just couldn't help it', too?"

"Um, yeah."

"Oh, Dean, that's the oldest, and the worst, excuse in the history of humankind." Kimber shook her head, emphasizing her disappointment.

"But it's true...well...I guess I could have always said no. But-"

"No, stop right there. You could have said no, and that's the point. Being polyamorous isn't about fucking whoever you want whenever you want with no consideration of your other partners' feelings or their needs. Open communication of feelings, agreement, and approval are all key to a happy and successful poly lifestyle."

"Seth has always known how I feel about Roman," Dean began, weakly. "And, so has Roman, I guess. I never came right out and told him I wanted him to fuck my brains out, but I always flirted with him. We were sharing a room all week, and yesterday when I got back after a photo shoot, he had restraints on the bed. He was all fresh and wet from the shower, and was just wearing a towel, which reminded me of when he was Leakee, because I'd wanted him even back then. Fuck, I'm so fucking stupid."

Kimber nodded in agreement.

"Way to make me feel better," he said, sarcastically, then shrugged. "I deserve that. It seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity I just had to take advantage of. I was selfish."

"Was it worth it?" Kimber asked. She was starting to become very angry with him. She couldn't remember the tirade of curse words her boyfriend had recently described him with, but he was right. She thought of his wife, her friend, home awaiting the birth of their child while he carried on behind her back, not just with Seth, but with his other Shield brother as well. He was a rake.

"Well...um...yes."

"You're terrible. I'm not fucking around. You really are a terrible person."

"Don't say that, Kimber, I'm not," Dean protested.

"Yes, you are. You cheated on your boyfriend, and your wife, and your wife doesn't even know you have a boyfriend. You have zero self-control over yourself."

"Fuck, damn it, I know!" He snapped, and chugged the rest of his beer, and slammed the bottle down on the table.

"You don't give a fuck about the feelings of the ones who care about you the most. If you think Seth is upset, just wait until Renee finds out." She realized she was feeling really sick, like she might throw up again, and she wasn't sure if it was from Dean, or from a second round with the flu.

"Kimber, please don't tell her."

"I won't, because she should hear it from you. Good night, see you tomorrow." Kimber grabbed her briefcase and ran for the ladies' room. There was so much more she wanted to yell at Dean for, but nature was stronger. She shoved open the door, threw her briefcase into the first open stall, and threw up again.

Seth was already asleep when she got up to their room, and she curled up close, spooning him, no longer caring if he was sick, because she was sick, too. She kissed him between his shoulder blades, and fell asleep.

The next morning Kimber woke up sick again. Seth, however, was just fine, fully recovered from his illness, but still bitterly mad at his tag team partner/Shield brother/lover. Kimber told him about her conversation with Dean at the party, and admitted to laying into him. Seth thought that was great, but his focus was not on Dean any longer. He was worried about her. All day long until they had to go to the arena, he'd babied her, even though she hadn't continued throwing up, and had felt much better after having done so. He'd insisted she stay in bed, read to her from _No Country for Old Men,_ played video games for her amusement, and gave her a full body massage with orange-patchouli oil. It was so relaxing, but she could feel his hard, hot cock pressing against her from time to time, so she knew how it would end. When he knelt over her hips to rub her breasts, she began rubbing his cock. He tried to pull away, but she grabbed one of his ass cheeks in her other hand, and gave it a hard squeeze. He gasped.

"Give me that oil," Kimber demanded.

Seth smiled and handed it to her. "Yes, Ma'am."

"I like the way you say that. I like it a lot," she said, as she began to work the oil around her boyfriend's tight asshole.

"Mmmm, Ma'am..."

"Yes, my dirty little fucker. You like that, don't you?" Kimber asked as she started opening him up with a finger.

"Yes, Ma'am, I love it."

"That's my dirty little fucker," she cooed, and slipped her next finger inside. "I think we need to stop somewhere in our travels and get a strap on, so I can fuck you good and proper."

"Oh fuck yes," Seth panted. "I mean, yes Ma'am. I know just the place, too." He began to ride Kimber's fingers.

"I'll bet you do, you filthy boy."

"Yes, Ma'am, I'm a filthy boy. I want you to fuck me so bad."

"I can tell," Kimber said, and slipped in a third finger. "You open up so nice for me. I can't wait to fuck the living daylights out of you. Lift your hips up a little, darling." He obeyed, and she began sucking him off, tasting the oil, and then his precum. He growled in frustration, being unable to find the right position to simultaneously fuck her face and ride her fingers, but it didn't matter, she could sense he was about to bust.

As his ass clenched and released her fingers over and over, and his cum began to fill her mouth so copiously she nearly choked, Seth got so loud she was sure their hotel room neighbors could hear him, and being that their company had rented out most of the hotel, chances were good they could identify him. The fact that she had made him feel so good he didn't care was extremely hot.

 _"Oh, FUCK ME!"_ He shouted, and punched the wall behind the bed. Plaster dust sifted down on them. "Oops. That's on me." He laughed, and spread out on the bed, beside his girl.

Kimber looked up at the hole in the wall. "Oooh, you're a bad boy, Seth."

"I know."

"I wouldn't have you any other way. I love you so fucking much."

Seth hugged her tight. "I love fucking you so much," he teased. "But not as much as I love you."


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32 – Everything Changes**

Kimber was miserable on the flight home. There was a lot of turbulence, to the point she'd needed to use her air sickness bag, and Seth's as well. Because they were in coach, packed like sardines, everyone around her had to listen to, if not see, her throw up, and it was humiliating. She hoped no one had taken a picture or a video of it, because some people on the flight had recognized her and her man. At least her period hadn't yet made an appearance, but because it hadn't, she was very achy, and bloated to the point she'd taken some water pills, a decision she would regret once the seat belt lights came on, and didn't go off for the rest of the flight. The moment those lights went off, she jumped across Seth's lap and into the plane's restroom, more embarrassment because she couldn't even make it off the plane, and people were laughing at her, even the flight attendants who closed the door for her, because she couldn't take the time to do it herself, because she was losing control at that point. Thank goodness she was wearing black. Kimber had been in too much pain and panic to find anything funny about it; she was angry and irritated and just wanted to go home.

Strange how Seth's place in Davenport had begun to feel more like home than her own place. They had not been back to Arcata, but this was her fifth flight or road trip to Davenport. Due to its location, in the Midwest, it was easier and faster to get to than the West coast, unless they were already on it, and they hadn't been since _Money in the Bank._ His guest room had become her room, though only Paulie ever slept in that bed, her clothes hung in the closet, her brands of shampoo and lotion were in the bathroom, doubles of what she kept in Seth's bathroom, because they showered together there. She had learned her way around the city, and knew how to get to stores, restaurants, the parks she liked to run and hike in, and across the river to the wrestling school. She had grown close to Marek, and often helped out at the school whenever she and Seth came to town.

They stopped by the post office to tap Seth's box, and he commented that her pregnancy test hadn't come. "You've got Prime, right?"

"Yeah, but I didn't order it, I forgot."

"You forgot? Then we need to go buy one, we'll do the self-checkout thing," he said.

"I really don't think it's necessary. But, I probably should get some supplies for when the time comes, and we need fresh milk and eggs."

"So, we're off to Walmart."

At the store, Kimber grabbed a random pair of pajama pants to wrap around the pregnancy test so no one would see her carrying it around, and when it came time to check out, she looked around carefully before running it across the sensor and whisking it into a bag as quickly as possible. Seth added a bottle of water to their bill, and on the way out, he handed it to Kimber.

"Seriously?" She asked, and shook her head. "Do you want me to take the test right here, too?"

"Well, no, because I want to be there when you do, and I can't do that here, or I'll get arrested... But as soon as you can." He sounded excited rather than worried, like he was hoping she was pregnant.

It might hurt him to end his hopes, but the sooner she did, the better. "I'll take it right when we get home."

So, once home, she went to the nearest bathroom with her guy, and peed on the test and put the cap on before handing it to him, so he could be the one to read the results first. "There, now we can put this whole pregnancy nonsense to rest and go on with-"

"Oh..." Seth began, and his voice cracked. He tried again. "My love, you're pregnant!" He gasped, and handed her the test before falling to his knees beside her and burying his face in her lap, sobbing tears of happiness. "I knew you were! I knew it!"

Kimber stared down in disbelief at the digital readout screen. _Pregnant._ She was pregnant. A flurry of diverse and confused feelings coursed through her and she too, began to cry, though she did not feel happy at all, she felt completely lost. She had never expected this to happen. She was going to have a baby. She had no idea what she was going to do. Her career was over. Her and Seth's child would undoubtedly be one of the greatest wrestlers who ever lived. Were abortions legal in Iowa? How could this have even happened to her? Her IUD was all but foolproof!

"Oh, my love. I'm so fucking happy," Seth gushed. "I love you so much, and I'm so excited we're going to have a baby."

"Seth, darling, I'm still on the toilet. Let me up, please."

Seth laughed, and stood up. "Sorry. I just got so caught up in the moment... I can't wait to tell my parents and-"

"Don't tell anyone about this yet," Kimber said, quickly, as she washed her hands. "I don't... It's too early." She had nearly told Seth she did not want the baby. And, all but the smallest part of her didn't. It was not the right time for her to have a baby, her career would be over. She had never really wanted to be pregnant, and had taken every precaution she could against it short of complete abstinence. But she couldn't tell him that yet, not when there was still a small part of her that wanted the opposite, and he wanted it so badly.

Seth followed her out to the kitchen, and they put away their groceries. "But, people are going to find out, you'll have to notify WWE as soon as possible, like right now, so they pull you from the ring. But, you don't have to worry about a thing, I'll take care of you until you're ready to come back, if you want to come back-"

"Darling, I think you're getting a little far ahead of where we are right now. I... I don't even know if this...pregnancy is viable. My IUD was designed to create a state of constant irritation in my uterus, which is supposed to ensure that nothing else can implant there. I think we need to do some research, and find a doctor who has experience with this kind of thing."

"Of course, but please let's tell our folks, Raven, and our closest friends. It's not right they should find out through the grapevine."

"You're right."

"Are you okay? You don't seem happy." Seth held her close, and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm...in shock. Everything is going to be different now. And, I'm a little scared, because I don't know what to expect, and there's the added factor of the IUD being inside me, too."

Seth nodded. "That worries me, too. But, I'm not scared of being a dad. I _was_ scared I wouldn't get to be a dad, that I wouldn't meet the right woman, or I'd end up being so old by the time I had kids that I'd be dead by the time they graduated high school. I'm so happy I'll only be thirty-two when our baby's born." He patted her flat stomach. "I can't believe this is really happening."

"Me neither. I feel so strange, but oddly comforted because now I know why I've been feeling so cruddy lately." Seth's loving attention gave the part of her that wanted to keep the baby a fifty percent chance, even more of a struggle to decide which choice she would make. "It just hasn't quite sunk in yet."

"It's a big change, but one I'm looking forward to." Seth retrieved his laptop and set it on the table in front of Kimber and pulled his chair around to the same side. "Let's do some research, and see what our chances are."

Kimber found out she was not alone, a number of women had conceived while using her brand of IUD, and most of them had opted to have the device removed. It carried a risk of miscarriage, but the risk was greater if the IUD was left in place. They researched obstetricians in Davenport, and Kimber called one of them and after explaining her situation, being home for a short time only, famous with an even more famous boyfriend and all, set up an appointment for the next morning before they even opened, to confirm her pregnancy with a blood test and ultrasound, and remove the IUD. Chances were very good her pregnancy would continue, but she and her baby would be closely monitored over the next few weeks.

"See, everything's going to be just fine," Seth said. "We're going to have a baby. Now can I please tell my parents?"

Kimber laughed. "Seth, darling, your parents have never even met me."

"And work, we have to tell work."

"I want to keep working. At least until I'm past the point where the miscarriage risk is over."

"No way, Kimber, that's foolish. You won't be doing any moonsaults or suicide dives with my baby inside you. If anything, you'd only increase the risk-"

"We'll see what the doctor says. I'm not going to stop working out or wrestling unless she says I have to. I'm going to wrestle again. I may not ever do it for WWE again, because I just fucked booking for the briefcase and the couples' tournament. I was _RAW_ 's overall third pick, and the first woman."

"They can't fire you for getting pregnant."

"Darling, you know that's not true."

Seth sighed. "Yeah. But it doesn't matter, my love. I'll take care of all of us."

"I know you will. You can call your folks now, but swear them to secrecy. I can't imagine how you'll tell them, though. Hey mom, I got a girl I work with pregnant?"

"They know you're not just a girl I work with. I've told them a lot about you, how happy you make me."

"I'm going to call Raven, too. She needs to know, because this changes things between her and I as well. Things have actually already changed, I've been spending more time with you, and I feel closer to you than I do to her, especially now that we've created life together. I...I want to have our baby here, in Davenport. I don't want to raise him or her in a poly home with different people coming in and out."

Seth nodded. "We should hold off on the calls until tomorrow, after our appointment, just to make sure everything's okay."

"In that case, we should wait a little longer, like until the next ultrasound. Just to make sure."

"Yeah. Damn, this sucks. Here we've got the most amazing news in the world, and we can't share it with anyone!" Seth pouted.

"Hey, you can tell Marek. He knows how to keep a secret."

Her man brightened, and picked up his phone. "I'll be interrupting training, but fuck it. I just have to tell someone or I'll explode or something."

Kimber laughed, and listened to Seth's side of the conversation. "Hey, man, guess what?..." He laughed. "No, not that... I'm going to be a dad!... Yeah, Kimber's pregnant... Thanks, man, you know how much this means to me... Mhmm... Keep the good news to yourself for now, okay?... I know I can trust you. We'll come by the school tomorrow, after her doctor's appointment... Oh, fuck yeah... See you then... Bye."

"Better now?" She asked.

"Well, I no longer feel like I'm going to burst with excitement, but I still really want to tell my parents, and I want you to meet them. We'll go over there for lunch after hanging out with Marek. Okay?"

Kimber nodded. "I'm looking forward to meeting them. Will this be their first grandchild?"

"Mhmm."

"For my folks, too. And, you've still got to meet my parents. I guess it'll have to be over Skype, though."

"We'll visit them as soon as I can get time away from work. With you out of the upcoming tournament, I might be pulled as well, unless they decide to partner me with someone else, and considering our situation, they'll probably just let me keep the time off. I'm going to ask for a lighter schedule, too, especially as your due date nears. Which reminds me...let's figure out when you're due." He typed "due date calculator" on his laptop. "Now, what day did your last period start?"

"The _Smackdown_ after _Money in the Bank._ That would be...July 25th."

"Our baby is due May 1st. He or she is about the size of a sesame seed, and looks like a tiny tadpole. This week the heart begins to divide into chambers and pump blood..." He trailed off, and wiped at his eyes. "Fuck, it's just amazing." He turned the laptop towards Kimber, so she could read about her baby's development, and the way her body was changing at five weeks of pregnancy. She was happy to see the article encouraged her to keep exercising, and decided to join the site.

"I know we didn't plan this, but now that it's happened, I'm really excited," she told her guy. "Darling, we've taken a lot of journeys together since we first met, but this tops them all."

"Yes. It's for life. You and I will be forever linked by the wrestling prodigy we create."

"How could a child of ours be anything less than a prodigy where wrestling is concerned?" Kimber giggled. "I mean, it's the offspring of two of the greatest sports entertainers in the world right now."

Seth smiled. "I love you. I know this is going to be a huge transition for you, leaving the ring. But, I'm going to help you get through it. And, after the baby's born, I'm going to help you train, so you can return better than ever. I'll make sure your job is held, my love, I promise."

"Let me keep working until the miscarriage threat is beyond us. I'll let Bayley in on our little secret. I trust her, and I know she'll protect me. I'll be really careful, and I won't dive. I won't even climb those ropes, darling, I promise."

"I'll think about it, my love."

"It's just that if I end up miscarrying, I'd have fucked up my career for nothing."

"It's not fucked up, it's just maternity leave. You'll be gone a year, tops. And, it's not like you're going to get to disappear off the face of the planet and gestate in private. People are going to want to follow your pregnancy. Fuck, we'll probably have to do a special on the network. And, of course you're welcome to travel with me wherever if you want. I'm sure you'll want to come to _Wrestlemania_ and the Hall of Fame ceremony and all that."

"Seth, I'll be as big as a house by then!" Kimber laughed as she realized she'd be giving birth less than a month after the events. She could be back in time for next year's _SummerSlam._ No, it really wasn't that long, but she still didn't want to risk everything she'd worked so hard for just to end up having a miscarriage. She had heard women had wrestled while in early pregnancy before, some even longer, and a few MMA fighters had continued fighting through their first trimesters, so she felt she could perform. Hopefully Seth would support her doing so after their appointment tomorrow.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33 – A Need-to-Know Basis**

The doctor's appointment made everything more real to Kimber. The pregnancy was confirmed, the IUD removed. She was warned she would likely experience some spotting, but if she had cramping or more severe bleeding, she should call right away. The next couple weeks would tell if she would continue to carry, though miscarriages in the first trimester were pretty common, even among women who didn't happen to get pregnant on an IUD. Dr. Sportiello ordered her to take a break from her workout routine until her next appointment in two weeks, and wrote her out of the ring until at least then. Kimber could see it was a huge relief for Seth, but the news brought her nothing but dread. Now she had no choice but to tell work.

After the appointment, they went across the river into Moline. Seth stopped at a craft store and bought two small slates and a box of chalk. Kimber was perplexed as to why he'd want such. "Props," he replied. "For your...what do women call those weekly pregnant selfies?"

"I don't know. Bump updates? Weekly pregnant selfies?" Kimber chuckled.

"And, I want to have Marek take a nice picture of us together, that we can use as our pregnancy and due date announcement. I was so excited I couldn't stay asleep last night, so I went online and saw all these really great ideas for pictures, and a lot of couples use these little chalkboard things."

So, Kimber and Seth posed together in the "best" ring (because there wasn't so much stuff hanging on the wall in the background, just an American flag), smiling at each other, his hand on her stomach. She was holding a slate upon which she'd written _We're Expecting!_ and his slate said _May 1_ _st_ _._ Marek took several shots, and Kimber declared them better than what a professional could have done. Seth joked that all they had to do was change the hue to black and white, and they would look professional.

Then it was time to meet Seth's parents, who lived in a beautiful subdivision twenty minutes from Davenport. Their big white two-story was more mansion than house. "Now, just so you're not surprised when you see my parents, my dad adopted me when he married my mom. I don't look anything like either of them, I look like my birth father."

"Are you going to tell them about the baby? Or are we going to wait to see how the next appointment goes?" Kimber asked, as she checked her makeup in the visor's mirror.

"I don't think I can help but tell them. Mom and Dad always know when I'm holding a secret." Seth got out of the car, and went around to open her door and help her out. "And, this one's too special not to share."

Seth's mom, a short, plumpish woman with short red hair, wearing a loud floral print sundress met them on the steps and gave her son a huge hug before turning her attention to his girlfriend.

"And finally, I get to meet Kimber. Seth's told me so much about you."

Kimber returned the older woman's warm smile, and offered her hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

"Yes, finally. I'm Brenda, by the way. Seth, why don't you go get Dad from the garage and meet us in the kitchen?" She led Kimber inside. "Would you like something to drink?"

Nerves, and the smell of whatever was cooking was giving rise to her nausea. She had read that her "morning sickness" could happen at any time of day or night, could be triggered by any number of things, and would likely worsen as her hormone levels rose over the next eight weeks. Fuck, she really didn't want to give away her secret by getting sick at his parents' house. "Sprite?" She asked Brenda, and swallowed hard.

"Is diet Sprite okay?"

Kimber nodded, not even noticing that the woman wasn't looking at her. Her mouth was watering, and she began to sweat. Fuck, she was going to be sick. "May I use your restroom?" She asked, in as normal of a tone as she could manage.

"Of course, dear, it's right around the corner." Seth's mother gestured in the general direction, and Kimber had to use all of her self-control to walk, not run, and not throw up until she was on her knees, ready to say a prayer to the porcelain god.

She didn't make it. As soon as she got into the bathroom, she threw up. It wasn't much, the somewhat digested blackberry yogurt and Grape Nuts she'd eaten for a mid-morning snack, but it ended up everywhere. Puke was on her dress, on the floor, dripping down the toilet bowl. It was so nasty she did it again, but this time she hit the target. She threw open the cabinet, in search of something to clean up her mess with, but there was nothing, only luxuriously plush hand towels, and bottles of foaming hand soap from Bath and Body Works. Even the dozen rolls of toilet paper would not cut this job. She called Seth.

"Um, I threw up all over your parents' bathroom, and myself. Could you please bring me something to clean up with?"

"Of course, my love, I'll be right there."

But he wasn't right there, it took several minutes for him to come bearing paper towels, a garbage bag, and Clorox wipes, and she knew right when she saw his face that he'd spilled the beans. "I had to tell them, and they were surprised, but they're happy." He started wiping her puke off the floor.

"Don't do that, let me," Kimber said, embarrassed. "It's my fault."

"It's not your fault. And, I don't mind cleaning up. I want to do everything I can to support you during this pregnancy, and if that means wiping up puke, I don't care. I know I'm not going to be able to be with you every day anymore, I won't be able to be a big a part of this as I want. Both of those things depress the hell out of me."

Tears rushed to her eyes as she realized for the first time that she'd be taking most of the journey to motherhood by herself while Seth trotted the globe, continuing to do what she used to do. The fact that she could no longer wrestle was devastating enough, but having to go through this unplanned pregnancy alone, without even weekly visits from the father of her child, the man she loved, and with whom she'd spent every single day and night with over the last three months, seemed like far too much to bear. Her heart broke, and so did she.

Seth stopped wiping the toilet to comfort her, holding her even though she hadn't yet tried to clean her dress. She clung to him weakly as he stroked her back and petted her hair, a feeble attempt to soothe her, but she could fell the uneven breathing of the sobs he was fighting off.

When they returned to their nest, both of them were so emotionally zapped they wanted to go take a long nap together, but Kimber knew she would not rest easy until she told work, and Raven, what was going on. She decided to write Stephanie, a mother herself, first, and sat down at Seth's laptop to compose an email.

 _Yesterday, Seth and I found out we're going to have a baby. Very unexpected, because I had an IUD. I am five weeks along, and due May 1_ _st_ _. We went to the doctor today and had the IUD removed in hopes the pregnancy will continue; there is a small chance of miscarriage in the next two weeks. My doctor has written me out of in-ring action, but I would like to keep working in some role at least until the risk period is over. I have attached Dr. Sportiello's note. Please keep our special news on a need-to-know basis, as we have not told all of our friends and family members yet._

In addition to the doctor's note, Kimber also attached the very best of the pictures Marek had taken of the expectant couple and their chalkboards. Then, she went out on to the patio off the kitchen, and called Raven.

"Hey, doll, how are things in Davenport?" Raven asked.

Because Raven hadn't said how much she missed her, she seldom did anymore, Kimber knew she'd grown accustomed to her absence, so it was easier to say what she needed to, but she wasn't sure where to begin. "I met Seth's parents today."

"Oh? How did that go?"

"They're very sweet. I also went to the doctor. Seth and I...we're going to have a baby."

On the other end of the line, Raven let out an excited whoop. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! I wasn't expecting this to ever happen! Finally, we're going to have a baby! Oh, Brit, I love you so much."

"And you know I love you. But, when I said 'we're going to have a baby', I meant Seth and me. I'm going to have the baby here, in Davenport. I'll love you forever, but I can't be your main anymore. I'm so sorry, Raven."

Raven sniffled. "Brit, sweetie, it's okay. I had a feeling you were growing closer to him, and away from me, and that the day might come where you wanted to make a choice. You don't want to be with him just because he got you pregnant, right?"

"No, honey, no. I love him." Kimber wiped her face, she was crying, too, even though this was going easier than she'd ever anticipated, and it felt good to be getting her life in order for the future, changes were always hard to make. "Being with him feels right. Almost from when we met, we've had a level of comfort and closeness with each other, and we formed a strong bond before we became a couple. I never told you this before, but when we first announced we were in a relationship, it was a lie. Since the whole world thought we were, we just decided to feed into it, and ride the popularity we got from it. But, what we did in public felt so natural, we started doing it in private, too, and confessed we had some serious feelings for each other. His home began to feel like my home, and he was the one who suspected I might be pregnant and insisted I take a test. I really didn't think it was possible, because of my IUD."

"Life finds a way," Raven said, quoting _Jurassic Park._

"I had the IUD taken out this morning. There is a slight chance I'll lose the baby, but even if I do, I'm going to stay with him. I feel like I'm where I belong. Oh, fuck, that was cheesy." Her catchphrase.

Raven chuckled a little. "Brit, I'm so very happy for you, and you know I believe everything happens for a reason."

"Yes. Don't tell anyone about the baby yet. Because of the complication, we're waiting to announce." Her other line beeped, and she looked to see it was Stephanie. "I have to go, boss is on the other line. I love you, talk soon."

She clicked over. "Hello?"

"Congratulations, Kimber!" Stephanie said, and her voice was warm, she wasn't angry.

"Thank you. I... I know I really screwed everything up," Kimber began, apologetically. "I'm so sorry. I never thought-"

"Don't apologize. It's all Seth's fault," Stephanie joked. "But seriously, don't apologize for getting pregnant. You do plan to return?"

"Yes, as soon as the doctor gives me the go ahead, I'll resume training. I could be ring-ready by the end of July, back in time to start building a feud for _SummerSlam."_

"So, here's what we'll do. Until your next doctor's appointment, you're out of the ring, but we'll keep you on the shows. If you're still pregnant at your next appointment, you'll come out to the ring, announce the pregnancy, if you and Seth are okay with that, or we can come up with some storyline injury you've been working with, and relinquish your briefcase, and go on maternity leave. If you miscarry, and I'm praying you don't, we'll stick to the current story lines, and put you back into action once you're medically cleared."

"Oh, I'm sure Seth will want to announce the pregnancy live on _RAW,"_ Kimber said, and giggled. "I think he's more excited about this than I am."

"Well, he's not the one who has to be pregnant," Stephanie replied, and the mother and mother-to-be shared a laugh. "I took you off the card for the weekend's house shows, and AJ's going to come sub for Seth, so you two can take a little break. I think Hunter's on the phone with him right now, actually."

"Thank you, Stephanie." Her relief was nearly audible in her voice.

"No problem. Rest up and take care. I'll see you in Houston."


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34 – "A Much Better End to** _ **RAW**_ **in Chicago than a Bunch of CM Punk Chants"**

For the next several days, Kimber obeyed Stephanie. She rested up, she took it easy. She and Seth made the Skype call to her parents, and they were surprised by the news, but very stoked. She had had some spotting the morning after the IUD was removed, but nothing since. She still had morning sickness and her breasts were more sore than ever, so she reckoned she was still pregnant. Seth rained loving attention down on her and took care of all of the cooking, chores, and errands. On Friday afternoon, their new gear arrived, what they were supposed to have worn in the mixed tag tournament.

Kimber spread the black and red bra top and leggings across the bed and considered what to do with them now that she wouldn't be wrestling for awhile. Then, it occurred to her. She could wear the outfit for her weekly bump photos. She pulled on the outfit, except for the coordinating accessories, and posed in the mirror, trying to imagine what she'd look like as the months went by. Right now, she still looked like the same Kimber who'd won Money in the Bank, wearing her boyfriend's gear (only his initial symbol was replaced by her own, the K inside of a heart). She went across the house to their (how quickly her mind, and heart, was claiming everything under this roof as hers and his, not just his) home crossfit gym, where her guy was in the middle of a workout. She sat down on a plyo box and watched until he noticed her and stopped.

"Hey, is that your new gear?" He asked, and wiped his face on a handy towel.

"Mhmm, yours came, too. I'm sad that I spent all this money on it, and won't get to wear it in the ring, so I've decided to wear it for my bump pictures instead."

"We still haven't taken our first," he said. "Let's do that."

"My bumpless bump pic," Kimber quipped. "I'll get a chalkboard."

Although Kimber could not share anything about her pregnancy online yet, she looked for gossip about herself, to make sure her good news would not be spoiled. There was speculation as to what family emergency of hers had kept her and Seth off the card for those house shows, with _Smackdown_ stars Mickie James and AJ Styles filling in for them, but that was all.

After her disastrous flight to Iowa, Kimber was reluctant to fly to Texas, but it was a much smoother flight, and she didn't throw up or start pissing her pants. Her nerves at the arena made her want to do both, but soon she was distracted, catching up with her fellow superstars and getting ready for the show that she forgot all about feeling cruddy. Just before the show began, and everyone was filing out of the locker room, Kimber pulled Bayley back, and shared her secret by pulling out her phone and showing her the announcement picture, and her five-week bump picture.

Bayley, of course, hugged her tight. "Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you guys! Just look at Seth, he looks so proud. And is that the gear you were going to wear in the tournament?"

Kimber smiled. "Sure is. I decided to take my bump pictures in it, since I spent so much money on it and won't be in the tournament."

"That's a really cute idea! I can't wait to see that gear split at the seams!" Bayley exclaimed, and they laughed together.

Kimber' phone vibrated in her hand, and she looked to see a message from Renee. "Congratulations! I'm so excited for you and Seth, and don't worry about maternity clothes, I've got plenty for you, lol." So, Seth had told Dean.

"Bayley! Kimber! Come on!" One of the production assistants shouted gruffly into the locker room.

In the hall, the Shield stood together, all of them looking happy. Dean's fall from grace had been forgiven and forgotten by Seth. Kimber noticed Seth seemed to be at the center of attention, until she and Bayley stepped out of the locker room, then many eyes shifted over to her. Good gawd, how many people had he told? She managed to catch his glance and he gave her a bashful, apologetic smile. But, she wasn't mad. Because he was so excited about having a baby with her he couldn't shut up about it, she loved him more than ever. She pushed through her costars, dragging Bayley with her, and was embraced by the father of her unborn child, and his Shield brothers.

"Congratulations," Roman whispered, and Dean nodded.

"So much for a need-to-know basis, huh darling?" Kimber whispered to Seth.

Seth just blushed, that silly smile still glued on his face. Bayley hugged him, and whispered something to him in scolding tones, before breaking down into giggles.

"Hey, you want to quiet down back there?" The same guy who'd yelled at Kimber and Bayley to get moving yelled at them again.

"Seth never shuts up," Dean quipped. "Remember?"

That was met with a lot of laughter, and Seth nodded in agreement while he stood blushing, one arm around Kimber's waist. "It's okay, you might as well tell everyone at this point," she told him.

He cleared his throat. "That's true. Although I've already told a lot of you, because I can't shut up, sorry sweetheart," he looked over at her, "I'm just too excited. Kimber's pregnant!" Then, he cried a little, and people turned to hug and congratulate them.

Kimber couldn't expect that the entire _RAW_ roster would keep such a juicy secret to themselves, but throughout the next two weeks, while traveling through the Southwest, she Googled her name regularly, and there were no rumors about a pregnancy, though there were several saying she may have been working with a back injury, blaming her botch at _Money in the Bank._

Her followup appointment with Dr. Sportiello confirmed she was still pregnant. Her hormone levels had skyrocketed, her ultrasound confirmed she was at seven weeks gestation, and her junk looked good. Naturally, she would not let her wrestle again until after the birth, but did give her permission to work out and have "gentle sex" with Seth.

They had the _Ride Along_ cameras with them for their journey from Davenport to Chicago, and since the episode wouldn't air until long after _RAW_ did, they talked about the pregnancy. More, in fact, than they did about the landmarks and scenery in Illinois.

Because Kimber was an Illinois native, she got a special shirt for _RAW,_ as much of the talent did when they worked in their home states. Hers was black, gray, and red glitter, keeping with the color motif of her other shirt It had her signature K on the front, framed by the words _Illinois' Hottest._ On the back, _Here where I belong_ had been transformed into _Here where I was born._ She paired it with the red and black ring gear, which Seth had also decided to wear that night. She had also been given special permission to deliver her special news as a shoot, no script. She was to touch upon three points: 1. She was pregnant. 2. She had to give up her Money in the Bank contract. 3. She would be back to reclaim her place. How she delivered it was entirely on her, and she preferred it that way.

Just before the show began, Kimber was told her shoot would be moved to just after the main event. She couldn't believe it. Her pregnancy was so special they were saving her reveal of it to close out the show! That meant she was seen as an asset, a draw. She _would_ have a place here in a year's time!

When her music began to play, Kimber walked out. She did not go into her bad ass indie entrance, she stood with her briefcase in one hand, and a microphone in the other, and just looked out, all around the crowd. After completing her survey of cheering fans, she raised the briefcase, then walked down to the ring. She didn't do her leap into it, she used the steps. A red carpet had been spread across the canvas. The lights came on fully, and the crowd, upon seeing her outfit, began to chant either "Kimber Rollins" or "Kimbrollins" as well as "Welcome home", and she let it go on for a little while before lifting the mic to her mouth. Respectfully, the fans shut up.

"I can't even begin to describe how special it feels to be back in my home state of Illinois, as Miss Money in the Bank, as the future of the women's division." She paused for applause. "Eight years ago, when I started my career in sports entertainment, I never would have dreamed I'd be standing here, in a WWE ring, closing out _Monday Night RAW."_ Another stop for the pop. "But, sometimes...life...just throws you a curve..." She set down her briefcase in the middle of the ring, and just as she did, she saw the big screens light up with Seth's themeand the crowd began to scream even before everything went red on _Burn it down!_. Kimber was surprised, this was not part of the plan, but held her composure, even though Seth looked so sweet coming down the ramp with roses in one hand and a mic in the other that she wanted to cry.

He went right to her, and they shared a romantic hug and kiss that made the fans go nuts, and Kimber had to wipe some tears as she turned towards the cameras with the bouquet tucked in one arm. She didn't know how she could continue to speak clearly, and lifted the mic to her mouth for a couple failed beginnings, which were embarrassing, but understandable. She looked at Seth.

"What Kimber is trying to tell you is that we're going to have a baby."

Their announcement picture appeared on the big screen. By the time the reaction began to die down, Kimber was able to continue. "Yes, I am pregnant. So, until I bear God's greatest gift to the world of sports entertainment, I must relinquish my Money in the Bank contract, as I am no longer able to compete. My maternity leave is effective immediately, but I'll be back to reclaim my place as the future of the WWE _RAW_ women's division."

She turned off the mic, and began heading for the steel steps while the applause still thundered, but it quickly died off, and she looked up at the screen to see Seth had raised his mic. She turned around, and he did the unthinkable.

He dropped to one knee.

Kimber's hands flew to her face and she dropped the mic. She couldn't believe it, even as he hastily unwound the tape from his left wrist to reveal the ring. She was crying so much she couldn't really see it, but the crowd reaction told her it was stunning. Seth reached out, and took her hand, and spoke into the microphone, so the whole world would hear his proposal.

"Kimber, I can't find the right words to describe how much you mean to me, or how much I love you. The last few months with you have just been amazing, and I want them to continue forever. Will you marry me?" Seth dropped the mic, and held up the ring.

"Yes!" Kimber almost screamed, but everything around them was so loud she knew he couldn't hear her. She began nodding instead, nodding and crying and saying yes over and over like she was Daniel Bryan as he slipped the ring on her finger. Hell, the crowd was chanting yes. He got up and she jumped into his arms, the way she always had, and kissed him. He held her that way until they went off air, then he set her down with another kiss, and motioned for a mic.

"You've all just witnessed the most important moment of my career," Seth told the fans. "She said yes."

Kimber beamed, and held up her hand. The ring was exquisite, a princess-cut solitaire set in platinum.

"And we're having a baby, God's gift to... Hey, wait a minute... You didn't say yes just because I knocked you up, did you?" He teased, and the crowd laughed while mic-less Kimber did some exaggerated hem-hawing, like maybe she had, before shaking her head, and happily throwing herself into his arms.

"Nope, I think she really loves me, guys," he announced, and Kimber nodded. "Thank you so much for letting us share this very special moment with you."

Backstage, everyone was waiting to give their congratulations, but Hunter found them first, and gave his protege a handshake and a big hug. He hugged Kimber, and let out a low whistle when he saw her rock. "I'm sorry about the added pressure of being the closing number, but when Seth told me he wanted to propose, I had to move it to the end. A much better end to a _RAW_ in Chicago than a bunch of CM Punk chants."

Now that the whole world knew about her pregnancy, she posted a screen shot of her and Seth in the ring after she said yes, to all of her social media accounts. _#itstrue #tyingtheknot #kimberispregnant_ She followed with the announcement picture, and the first three bump pics, weeks five, six, and seven, her current week, and posted them all with the hashtags _kimberispregnant_ and _kimbersbump._ She was so happy the whole world seemed to be celebrating with her.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35 – Separation**

Eight weeks along, and still no bump, her abs were as defined and sexy as ever. Her maternity leave coupled with the decision to stay in Davenport left her with something she'd never had before: time in super-abundance. Her first week home she'd already given the nest a floor-to-ceiling cleaning, decided which guest room would become the baby's room, cooked and frozen two weeks worth of meals, and walked Paulie so much she swore the dog was sick of the activity. She visited with Marek, the only person she knew in the area, every day at the school, and made daily phone calls to her parents, Seth, Raven, Renee, Ginger, and Bayley. Of those, only Renee could chat forever, as she was in the same boat, pregnant and home alone. Kimber took a lot of comfort in her calls, and it was clear Renee did as well.

Being away from her guy was even harder than she'd thought it would be. Her first night alone, she'd been unable to sleep. Seth's pillow was a poor substitute, and Kimber hated herself for having changed the bedding before leaving for Chicago, because his scent would have been of some comfort. She'd tossed and turned all night, and the next day she'd plunged into every closet in the house in search of some item that may have not been washed. In the entry hall closet, she'd finally found a light dress coat that still bore his scent, and took it back to bed with her. She'd cried herself to sleep, and because she was sleeping, she'd missed his morning call. Worst hump day ever.

She cried herself to sleep every night, hugging Seth's coat. She didn't think it was possible to miss someone so much. They talked several times a day of course, but it only seemed to make her heart ache even worse, because the call would have to come to an end. She never let Seth hear her cry, but she always cried afterwards, no matter where she was. So far, she'd cried in her car at the post office, at Walmart, at the grocery store, at home, while walking Paulie, and in front of Marek. She didn't seem to have any control over her emotions at all. As one who'd always risen above whatever was hurting her, be it physical or mental, that lack of control bothered her.

She told Renee about it, who said it was normal. She was full of pregnancy hormones, after all. Even had she not been pregnant, the separation from Seth would have been hard on her, because not only were they engaged, they'd spent the majority of their time together since she'd moved on to the main roster. Kimber knew she was right, and began trying a little harder to rise above the sadness. Renee also told her there was nothing wrong with finding comfort in sleeping with Seth's coat; she herself slept with a teddy bear she sprayed with Dean's cologne.

"One good thing about being pregnant is we don't have to do the European tour," Renee said on Monday afternoon.

"Right? Twenty-one shows in eleven days, fuck that," Kimber replied, and laughed, then sobered. "The time difference is going to make it hard to stay in touch with Seth."

"That's true. Hey, why don't you come out here for a visit while the guys are gone on tour?" Renee asked brightly.

"I would love that. I'll book my flight today!" She had missed hanging out with Renee since she'd gone on maternity leave, and they both needed someone to dull the lonely feelings.

While she was booking her flight, the doorbell rang. Paulie beat her to the door, yipping and snarling, and Kimber looked through the decorative glass to see it was Brenda, travel tumbler in hand. She opened the door. "Hi, Brenda, come on in. Paulie, down."

"Oh, that's okay, Kimber dear, how are you feeling? Hey, Paulie!" Brenda patted the very excited dog on the head, and he ran off to fetch a favorite toy.

"I'm feeling pretty good, except for the morning sickness. And, I'm peeing more, which is a little...inconvenient. But other than that, I really can't complain. I'm making travel plans to visit my friend Renee while her husband and Seth are in Europe. She's pregnant, too, due October third."

"Oh yes, Dean's wife. I've never met her, but I've seen her on TV and at the shows." She handed Kimber the travel tumbler. "I made you a chocolate malt. I loved them when I was pregnant with Seth. Extra malt, extra chocolate syrup, made with frozen custard, not ice cream."

Kimber took a sip. "Mmmmm, this is sinful! Is there a such thing as an acquired craving in pregnancy?"

They shared a laugh. "Now, dear, if there's ever anything you need help with, or you just want someone to talk to or go to dinner with, please give Joe or me a call. I know it's probably been hard being away from your friends and family. Seth told me you were born in Illinois, but lived the last few years in California."

"Yup. I moved to Milwaukee when I was nineteen, to help with RCCW, and that was my home base until I visited Arcata. I just got this overwhelming feeling of being home. But now, I feel it here." She took another swallow of the delicious malt that was going to destroy her hot body, but who cared, and opened her arms wide, and spun around in the kitchen. "I'm so happy. I love it here."

"Let's see if you still say that when winter comes," Brenda teased.

"Oh yeah, it's been quite a few years since I've had to deal with a Midwestern winter. Certainly haven't missed 'em. Even when I was living here, I tried to get away for as much of winter as I could. But, with these monthly doctor appointments, I don't think I'll be able to avoid this one." Kimber sat down at the kitchen table.

So did Brenda. "Who's your doctor, dear?"

"Dr. Mary Sportiello. She's been great so far. I'm really looking forward to the next appointment, because we'll get to hear the heartbeat." Her hands automatically went to her flat stomach. She couldn't believe there had really been a time that she'd wanted to have an abortion. "Seth's going to try to record it on his phone, so we can have it as a keepsake, and share it with you guys and my folks." The mere mention of Seth made her lower lip tremble, and she bit it. Would she ever stop missing him?

His mother didn't miss the fact she was close to tears, and got up to give the young woman a hug. "There, there, dearie. I know you miss him, but it's not good for the baby for you to be all upset."

Kimber nodded. "I know. I try so hard to stay busy and keep my mind off it, I call my friends and family, I help out at the school, but Marek won't let me in the ring, so I'm relegated to doing paperwork in the office. Ever since I was nineteen, wrestling has been my life, it was what I was born to do, and even though I've accepted that I can't do it for awhile, I can still train people."

"Yes, but maybe you shouldn't right now. Even that can be dangerous. You plan to go back on the road after you're a mother?"

"As soon as I'm ring-ready. Seth's promised to help me train, so I can get back as soon as possible." Kimber finished off the malt and went to wash the cup. Brenda, although she meant well, was starting to irritate her the way only a mother-in-law could.

And, the older woman sensed this, and changed the subject. "Have you started making any wedding plans?"

"Not yet. I don't know if I can handle pregnancy and wedding planning at the same time. Maybe we'll just elope the next time we're in Vegas. We never sat down and talked about it, so I don't know what he's got in mind." Kimber dried the tumbler, and set in back on the table, hoping Brenda would take the hint to leave. "Thank you for the malt."

"I think you should talk to him about it. Planning the wedding will give you something to do besides putting yourself in harm's way over at that school."

Kimber visibly bristled, and had to close her eyes and take a deep breath. "I don't put myself in harm's way, I told you, Marek hardly lets me into the training room. I haven't wrestled since my test was positive."

"Kimber dear, I just think you need to be more careful. I follow you online, and read your post about your workout, and I was shocked. You should be taking it easy."

"My doctor," she replied tightly, as she balled her hands into frustrated fists beneath the table, "approved my workout plans. I wouldn't go against her orders, or do anything that would put our baby at risk. It's better for me to be getting exercise rather than sitting around doing nothing because when it comes time to have the baby, my body will be able to handle labor better. It helps me relax, it helps me sleep, and distracts me from how much I miss Seth! Damn it!" Kimber pounded the table with one fist before burying her face in her hands and going off on yet another crying jag.

Brenda went into the closest bathroom and brought her a box of Kleenex. Furious Kimber tore out a handful and wiped her face. "I'm sorry... Renee says it's the hormones from the pregnancy."

"Of course, dear." Her future mother-in-law patted her back. "I'm sorry if I said anything that may have upset you."

"It's practically impossible not to upset me these days," Kimber admitted. "I miss Seth so much it literally hurts. I feel like I'm missing at least half of myself. From the night I debuted on the main roster, we were together constantly. Though we met due to very unfortunate circumstances, it ended up being the greatest night of my life, because it was the night he came into it. Even before we got into a relationship, we shared a special bond, a special closeness and comfort with each other." She didn't know why she was telling all of this to Seth's mother, but to talk it out was calming her down.

"You and my son are a lot alike," Brenda said, as she continued to rub Kimber's shoulders.

She nodded. "Some people in the industry referred to me as a female version of him, but they were just citing the ring work and character." She giggled a little. "I did cosplay as him in the Shield for a few gimmick matches when I was still working the indies."

Brenda chuckled. "Yes, he mentioned that."

"It was Raven's favorite gimmick, she was, and still is, obsessed with the Shield. We did others, too. Taker and Kane, Lesnar and Heyman, The Hardy Boyz, and even Hulk and Macho Man once. My favorite gimmick was the Hardy Boyz, I was Jeff, because I had the tattoos and rainbow hair. WWE won't let me have rainbow hair. My original gimmick with them was supposed to be a sex goddess, but Seth helped me get a match working with Matt Hardy, and they realized I was a better fit as something like I'd always been. Let me change my ring attire and all."

"You love wrestling, just like my son. No wonder you yearn to be doing it so badly."

"Yes. Once I started training, I realized it was what I was born to do. I love what I do, and I love your son. I'm not a woman of faith, but I'm starting to think that maybe everything happens for a reason. I don't know how much he's told you, but I was literally dependent on him for my basic needs when we first met. I was hazed really bad by the other women, and they stole my purse. No phone, no ID, no money, no credit cards, I couldn't even see very far because they took my glasses, too. I had never been in that position before, and I was so very lucky he was the one who came upon me first. I think we started falling in love before we even began to date. Even though I was going through hell before every show, having him there before and afterwards gave it the gleam of a fairy tale. He was my Prince Charming, my Link, my knight in shining armor."

"And when we got pregnant, it was definitely meant to happen. I mean, I had an IUD that had a failure rate of point eight percent, and got pregnant. It was meant to be."

"I think so, too. My son is a very lucky man to have found you. It's so touching how much you two love each other that it makes me want to cry. When he proposed to you last week, I did cry."

"So did I. I had no idea he was going to do it until he got down on bended knee. I didn't even know he was going to come out during my promo. When he did, I thought he'd just come out to announce the pregnancy with me, because he'd told the whole _RAW_ team two weeks before that, so surprised it didn't leak into the media before we got to announce it. But, damn, I just was so excited and happy when he knelt down that I'm surprised I didn't pee my pants. If we'd waited until this week to do it, I probably would have. I know that John proposed to Nikki on a much grander stage, but I think Seth did it better. And, I'm not just saying that because it was my special moment."

"Women in the audience were crying. It was something special. It was very obvious throughout the entire segment that you and Seth love each other very much."

"That's why being apart from him makes me so sad. It really did help to talk about it, though. Thank you, Brenda."

Brenda hugged her. "Always, Kimber dear. Anytime you need to talk, give me a call."

"Thanks, I will."

Brenda left, and Kimber finished booking her flights, and reserving her rental car, so Renee wouldn't have to go through the trouble of picking her up, or doing all the driving. She was really looking forward to the trip, in two weeks time, so close to Renee's due date. She couldn't believe WWE was forcing Dean to go to Europe so close to the birth of his first child, but they assured him that if she called when she first started feeling labor pains, it was likely he could fly there in time for the birth. Kimber doubted that, and hoped Renee wouldn't go into labor early, because she'd be the one there, getting a crash course in what she'd be doing that spring, and not Dean. She also hoped they would let Seth have some time off around her due date, so there would be no question that he'd be there when she went into labor. At least the schedule didn't call for them to be abroad around that time, the last out of the country dates before her due date were the week after _Wrestlemania_ , in South America.

She wondered if she should watch _RAW_ , just to see and hear Seth, or would she only get upset again? She had a few hours left to decide, so she slipped on a pair of sneakers and grabbed Paulie's leash and a few plastic bags. She clipped the leash to the dog's harness while he relaxed in his bed, and he looked up at her as if to say _Really, lady? Let sleeping dogs lie!_


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36 – The Show Goes On**

Kimber did decide to watch _RAW._ She was not surprised to see that Seth seemed a little frazzled-looking, even though he acted like all was going well whenever they were on the phone, she knew their separation was just as hard on him as it was for her. She smiled to see three replays of her announcement, and Seth's proposal, including one of the segment in its entirety, followed by the social media responses from fans and wrestlers alike.

The next morning, she got a call from Stephanie McMahon. WWE wanted her and Seth to do a three-part special on the network, documenting the progression of her pregnancy, and the birth of the baby Kingslayer. Also, her visit to Renee would coincide with a taping of _Total Divas._ She was going to be offered a contract, guest appearances for the remainder of the current season being taped, and the next one, too. Although she had never wanted to be part of a reality show, especially one that labeled her a diva, at least she wasn't part of the main cast, and she knew it was what was best for her career, because it was best for business. Seth's pregnant fiancee, who had to give up Money in the Bank, who had ruined months of booking and story lines, who was out of action until at least early next summer, was still a draw. The fans were behind her. Kimber actually loved the thought of doing the documentary with Seth. It would allow them time together they may not have had otherwise, and it really made her feel special that so many people in the world saw her as something special, and wanted to share in her journey to motherhood.

Seth agreed, so when they went to her ten-week appointment, the day before she was to fly to Vegas, and he to London, it was in the company of a camera crew. They had been with her the day before Seth arrived, and with him on the road off and on for two days before that, left them alone after documenting his arrival and their reunion, and returned early this morning, ringing the bell at the ungodly hour of four. Kimber was so furious she refused to let them film anything until she and Seth had showered and had breakfast; they had originally wanted to film them waking up, and as a result, she and Seth had gone to bed clothed for the first time in at least a month. She finally extended an olive branch by asking one of the crew to take her ten-week no-bump-yet pic (though her breasts were already stretching out the six red stripes that ran down the right side of the top of her unused ring outfit) and Seth joined her in the shot for the first time since the week seven pic. Afterwards, the couple sat down in the living room, and talked about the pregnancy and their relationship, and how excited they were about hearing the baby's heartbeat in just a little while.

Just a little while later, Kimber was lying on the exam table, giddy with anticipation as the crew set up. She'd already had the rest of her exam, and everything still looked great. Seth was told to move from Kimber's side over behind the table, and embrace her. She tilted her head to kiss him.

"All set," Steve told the couple and their doctor.

"Finally," Kimber said.

Dr. Sportiello squeezed some clear jelly below Kimber's belly button, and applied the fetal doppler. She slid it down, and a whooshing sound came from the speaker. She smiled at the couple. "Steady, strong heartbeat."

Seth held her tight, and buried his face in her shoulder, and Kimber began to cry, too. "It's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard." She took off her glasses, and wiped her eyes. Dr. Sportiello handed her a box of Kleenex.

Seth lifted his head and kissed her. "I love you." He turned to Dr. Sportiello. "What's the baby's heart rate?"

"About one forty, which is right in the middle of the normal range of one twenty to one sixty," the doctor told him. She turned off the doppler, and handed Kimber a towel to wipe off her abdomen.

After recording her and Seth outside of the car, to get their feelings about the appointment, the crew saw fit to leave them alone for a few hours while they got ready for their respective trips. Since they'd already gotten everything in order, they used the time to snuggle, make love, and talk about the future. For the first time, they talked about wedding plans, and he told her he wanted an outdoor wedding, and to share the day with as many family members and close friends as they could.

"I know we won't get a honeymoon," he added, "unless I get injured again, or sick, and if that were to happen, we still wouldn't get a honeymoon. But, I hope that one day we'll be able to take a Mediterranean cruise, or rent a private island in the Caribbean."

Kimber stroked his hair. "You're so romantic. I love it. When should we have the wedding?"

"I'm thinking between Christmas and New Year's, the off time."

"This year?" She asked. "Darling, I'm not sure I can handle wedding planning while pregnant and doing this documentary, and _Total Divas_. I've heard it's very stressful."

"That's what wedding planners are for." Seth smiled, and gave her a squeeze and a peck on the nose. "And, I promise to deal with all of it if you don't feel up to it, or just don't want to. I've already got lots of ideas."

"Like?"

"Well, we can't very well have an outdoor wedding here in December, so we'll have it someplace warm, a destination wedding. I'm thinking of asking John if we can get married at his place in Florida."

Kimber chuckled. "Yeah, darling. I'm sure the man whose nose you broke would be happy to turn his place over to you over the holidays. Not like he might have plans or anything."

"Ah, that was years ago. But, you're right. Getting married over the holidays is kind of selfish, but honestly, what other time will we get a chance to do it? We might be able to squeeze it in during _Wrestlemania_ Week."

"Oh, no, not then, I'll be freaking huge by that time."

"Then a holiday wedding it will be," Seth decided. "Yeah, I know some people just won't come, because they've already made plans, but the important people will be there, like our parents, my brother, your sister."

"We'd better get rolling on this now, because of the travel arrangements involved. Florida still sounds nice, I'll bet we can rent a whole house out, maybe we could even find something on the ocean, and have the ceremony right there. Formal or casual? Should we have bridesmaids and groomsmen? What's our wedding color?" Kimber asked, as she realized all the stuff they had to figure out right now.

"I think the seaside ceremony sounds wonderful, and casual. And, getting married over the holidays, we should use holiday colors, like red and green, or dark blue and silver. My brother will be my best man, and your sister your maid of honor, as far as other friends, we should find out who can attend. I don't think Marek, Dean, and Renee would miss it, even though maybe Dean and Renee don't want to have baby's first Christmas at our wedding, but I don't know about your friends out on the West Coast."

"We should start putting the word out there, see who wants to come, and how much of a part they want to play. So, let's pick a date."

"Christmas Eve. I just think that sounds so romantic. Yeah, it might be selfish, but it's our special day, and-"

Kimber flipped through her phone. "Hate to break this to you, but Christmas Eve is on a Monday."

"I'm working on Christmas _again?"_

"Looks that way. A very special Christmas Eve edition of _RAW,"_ Kimber said, in a TV announcer's voice.

"Oh fuck me running. That's two freaking years in a row. Fuck, fuck, fuck." Seth picked up his phone, to look at the show schedule. "Okay, December twenty-eighth. We can celebrate Christmas with your parents, because _RAW_ 's in Anaheim, fly to Florida the day afterwards so we have some time to deal with those final wedding details."

"This is going faster than a Duggar engagement-to-wedding," Kimber said. "I should find out who helps with theirs, and hire them. But, let's do what we can right now. We'll send out messages to the people we want there saying we're planning to get married on December 28th, and I'll jump on finding the rental right away. Once we have it, we can publicly announce we're tying the knot, and find a planner from the area to handle the rest."

"Perfect."

The camera crew came back to record Seth loading their bags into the car, and Steve hopped in the backseat to ride along with them on the way to the airport. Kimber had thought she would cry upon saying goodbye in the ticketing area, but she hadn't. Their parting hugs and kisses were captured not only by the crew, but by a growing crowd of onlookers with their cell phones, many of whom were also clutching merchandise and markers, and she could tell her man was getting peeved. He'd never made it a secret that he hated being trolled at the airport. Kimber had never minded it, but today she wasn't feeling like signing stuff, or taking pictures with people. She just wanted to find her gate, and sit down with her laptop to start planning the wedding.

The film crew parted when the couple did, three men going with Seth, and four with Kimber. Even though she was flanked by two men on each side with a security officer leading the way, a small group of fans walked right along beside them, and one of them, a ratty-looking young man with an emo haircut, boldly shoved between two of the men, and stuck a glossy, Hardcore Wrestling Vixens glamour shot in her face along with a black Sharpie. "Can you sign this 'Britney Melrose'?"

He was shoved away by Billy and Jim, but something awoke within Kimber. It was not the first time she'd been asked to sign a picture from her days in porn. But, something about the way the guy had gone about it infuriated her. "It's okay," she told Billy and Jim. Then, she turned back to the guy. "You want that signed? Give it here."

The guy smiled stupidly, showing rotting teeth, and handed it over, along with the marker. There she was, almost twenty-three years old, in an eight-by-ten, the green ends of her hair covering her breasts, black garter belt, thong, and ripped-up fishnets covering the rest. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "What's your name, doll?"

"Teddy."

"What the fuck kind of name is that? Teddy," Kimber said, and snorted. "And you want me to sign this as Britney Melrose."

Teddy nodded. "Yeah, but don't put my name on it-"

"Bitch, I'm signing it, I'll write whatever the fuck I want on it." And, she did, starting right at the top of the picture, and going all the way down, reading aloud as she wrote. "Dear Douchebag AKA Teddy... You're not selling this on ebay... Get a job and go fuck yourself. Sincerely, the Duchess of Pain, Britney Melrose. P.S... Stay off the meth." She smiled, and dangled it before him before ripping it up and stuffing it into the pocket of her hoodie, for later disposal. "You're the Teddy nobody wants to cuddle at night. One more time, go fuck yourself. Fucking loser." She stepped into the elevator, and security would not allow him to follow.

"Sorry about that," Kimber said to her entourage. "I don't know if it's the pregnancy, or the stress of planning the wedding, or something else, but that guy really triggered me."

Before parting ways with her camera crew and hopping in line to be screened, she dumped the contents of her pocket into a handy trash can. She'd wanted to flush the shreds of picture down the toilet, but was afraid they'd clog the fixture. By the time she settled down to search for a venue while she waited on her plane, a video of the encounter had already made it online. Of course, it didn't put her in a good light. It started from the point where she said "Bitch, I'm signing it". To the people watching it, she appeared to be laying into a fan. _Kimber destroys a fan at Quad City Airport._ There weren't many comments on it yet, so she was able to read them all. Most of the comments were understandably awful, calling her all kinds of names, but there were a few posts in her defense, standing up for her right not to be bothered at the airport, when she was clearly in the middle of filming something, and also in a delicate condition. One comment was from someone who'd met Kimber at an appearance during _SummerSlam_ Week, and said that she had been very sweet, and smiled a lot. That made her smile now.

So, before she could start the quest to plan her wedding, she had to deal with the fallout from the video, glad she had caught it before her bosses did. She linked the video in her post, and wrote: _This is not a case of me not wanting to be approached by a fan at the airport. I like being approached by fans anywhere, but_ _this guy is no fan of mine. He harassed me, I reacted. Though I believe the situation warranted it, I would like to apologize for my vulgar language._ Finally, she could get down to business.

Responses to her latest announcement had come through, both in text and in voicemails, because she'd shut her phone off after sending the bulk message. Everyone was thrilled, no one said they couldn't attend so far, and many people were offering to lend a hand in one way or another, realizing the whole event had to be pulled off in just three months. She responded to as many of the texts as she could while searching for venue, and sending links to Seth, who responded with links of his own, and by the time she had to board her flight to Vegas, they had found a beautiful luxury home available to rent for the holidays, and it was right on the gulf, with a generous stretch of beach.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37 – The Sisterhood of Motherhood**

In Las Vegas, Kimber signed her _Total Divas_ contract, sat down to say her "Hi, I'm Kimber" piece, and repeated her arrival at Renee's. _Reality TV my ass,_ she thought, as she and Renee hugged and kissed each other on the cheek for the second time. After recording Renee showing Kimber to the room she thought of as Dean and Seth's, Renee showing Kimber the baby's room, and the two mothers-to-be sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking pomegranate lemonade, the _Total Divas_ crew left.

"Whew," Kimber sighed. "Glad they're gone."

"Me too. Now you can talk about the wedding!" Renee exclaimed. "Dean, the baby, and I will be there, of course, and we'll take lots of pictures. I'm sure everyone will, but I have a nice camera, so you don't need to worry about finding a photographer, unless you want a pro."

"Thank you. I'm cool with not having a pro, but honestly, I have no idea what the groom-to-be wants. Not that I don't know him well enough to marry him, but we've only talked about the wedding once, today, before we left. I think we may have found a place to have the wedding, Seth's supposed to be pursuing it. Which reminds me, I should really grab my phone and my laptop and work on some more of this stuff."

"I'll help. Let's go sit in the den, where it's more comfy."

The mothers-to-be stayed up until three in the morning, fueled by instant cappuccinos and cookies, and got a lot of work done. Kimber had a chance to talk to her fiancee; he had booked the waterfront mansion, and the real estate company that was leasing it sent him a bunch more pictures, which he forwarded on to her. He agreed with Renee and Dean functioning as photographers, they finalized the wedding colors as midnight blue and silver, and decided not to have any attendants. She changed her flight home to a flight to Florida, so she could see the mansion for herself and meet with caterers and a wedding planner.

The next day, she formally announced the wedding date online, using a picture of Seth and herself that Bayley had taken while the three of them were having lunch at a posh French bistro before a show in Orlando. _We're getting married! 12/28, in Naples, Florida._ From upstairs, Renee promptly replied with _Congratulations!_ and Kimber laughed. Alexa, whom Kimber had not thought about since the brand split made her a non-factor in her day-to-day life, promptly replied with _Ha, shotgun bride._ And Emma, who'd been fired, was free to reply unrestrained _Great, now your kid won't be a bastard #kimberisadirtyslut._ But overall, the response was very positive. So many people happy for them.

"I don't know if I should wear white," Kimber told Renee, as they looked at dresses online. "I mean, I'll definitely be showing by then, so it's obvious I'm not pure. Since we're not having attendants, maybe I should wear a blue or silver dress, to match the wedding colors. And, it will have to be able to accommodate my bump. Should I look at maternity dresses? I mean, I won't be that big by then, or at least I don't think I will be, so a maternity dress might be too big. I don't want to look like I'm wearing a mumu."

Renee giggled. "How about a regular dress with an empire waist? If you get it a size or two larger than you wore before you got pregnant, it'll be roomy enough, and it can be altered to a flattering fit. And, I don't think anyone really follows that tradition of not being able to wear white, so why not wear it if you want to? Everyone lives in sin these days."

"Seth and I have lived in sin since the second night we were together. Well, not technically, I guess, but we started sharing a bed that night. We just didn't do anything in it besides sleep, eat, and chill for a couple months. And, even though we didn't really know each other, we were just so comfortable with each other, almost instantly."

"That's because you guys are a lot alike."

Kimber nodded. "That's what his mom said."

Renee smiled sassily. "What's she like, your future mother-in-law?"

"So far, she seems nice, but she doesn't approve of my working out while pregnant, nor my hanging out at the school. And, she doesn't seem to think highly of my intention to work a full-time schedule after I have the baby." Her hands went automatically to her stomach. It was a little bloated, probably from last night's indulgence.

"This sounds bad, but I feel like I lucked out, with Dean being estranged from his mother, I have no mother-in-law to deal with."

"A very silvery lining to a very black cloud," Kimber said sagely. "At least his folks do like me in general, though. I think I've found my wedding dress." She turned the laptop towards her friend to show her the dress. It was a bridesmaid's dress, with spaghetti straps and a draped bodice. It was long and flowing. It came in forty different colors, too, including midnight blue.

"That's perfect for a beach wedding!" Renee gushed. "It's stunning, but simple. Are you going with the blue?"

"Well, that old saying does say a bride should have something blue, right? I'll check with Seth first before I order it."

"So you're not sticking to the 'he can't see my dress until the wedding' tradition, either, huh?" Renee teased.

Kimber shrugged. "I want to be sure he'll like it. And, this bridal shop works in connection with a men's fine clothing company, so the color of my dress will coordinate with whatever the future dear husband decides to wear." She sat back, and folded her hands on her stomach. "Remind me not to eat cookies all night ever again."

"Kimber, don't eat cookies all night ever again," Renee teased. "But, look at how much we've already gotten done for your wedding. I think we've earned a little treat. Let's go get our nails done."

After getting their fingers and toes done, the mothers-to-be went back to Renee's. Back at the house, Renee complained of being hot and having a backache. Kimber had never seen her bubbly friend more miserable, and even though she herself was wanting a nap, she offered to rub her back. And, her friend was very grateful, and led her upstairs to the room she shared with Dean and handed her a bottle of eucalyptus oil. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Renee said, and her voice cracked. She was crying, and Kimber was reminded of her first night on the main roster, when she met Renee, but she had been the one in tears, after Renee's kind gesture, her sweater. Looking back, she couldn't help but wonder if the passing of that maternity sweater over a stall door had been some kind of omen.

Kimber held her friend and stroked her hair, and realized she was becoming aroused by her. Lately, despite dealing with morning sickness at any hour and general aches, pains, and tiredness, she'd been hornier than a cat in heat. A hell of a time to be without her fiancee. Her research had told her that her yearnings were likely a result of the increased blood supply down there, along with her hormones. She couldn't help but wonder if Renee, also without her man around, was going through the same thing. She decided to test the waters, even though she had not discussed it with Seth. Based upon Dean and Seth's reactions whenever telling Renee about their real relationship came up, she doubted her friend would respond anyway.

She let her go, and stroked her back a little before adding more pillows around Renee's pregnancy pillow. "Take off your shirt and bra and get comfy. I'm going to pee right quick. Do you mind if I use the master bath?"

"No, go ahead." Renee pulled off her shirt.

When Kimber came out of the bathroom, Renee had removed her bra, and was hunched over the pillows, more on all fours than lying down. "Comfortable?" Kimber asked.

"Oddly, yes. I know it doesn't really look like it, but it's already giving my back some relief."

"Good." Kimber climbed up on to the California king size bed beside Renee, and drizzled a little of the oil on her lower back. "Just let me know what feels good and what doesn't." She began to massage the relaxing oil into Renee's soft, pale back.

"Ohhhh... That already feels sooooooo good..." Renee sighed. "Mmmmm..."

Kimber felt herself begin to get wet and tingly from the sensual nature of Renee's reaction to her mild rubbing. Her heart began to race. _Easy does it, easy does it,_ she coached herself, fighting hard to keep the experience as a platonic back rub. But, Renee's _Mmmmms_ and _Ahhhhs_ and little cries were driving her hormones into a frenzy, and before she could stop herself, she kissed her friend's back, between her shoulder blades, the same place where she'd first kissed the man she was going to marry, while he was asleep.

Immediately, Kimber regretted that kiss, because Renee turned over. "I'm...I'm sorry," she stammered, and began to back away.

"No, don't be sorry," Renee said, softly.

Kimber dared look up at her. She was smiling, her hands on her big pregnant tummy, with desire in her eyes. She had not put her shirt or bra back on, and Kimber noted the same signs of pregnancy in her breasts that she herself had. She opened her arms. "Come here, Kimber."

Kimber didn't need to hear that twice. She stretched out on the bed beside Renee, and let herself be pulled in.

"I know you really miss Seth. I really miss Dean, too." She stroked Kimber's dark hair. "Can I have a kiss?"

Kimber smiled, too pleased to answer, but tilted her head up to allow Renee to feast on her slightly parted lips. She did it with so little hesitation that the more experienced woman was surprised. "I had no idea you were into girls."

Renee giggled. "I didn't think I was. But, I want you to touch me. I confess, I had this in mind when I asked you to come visit."

"Really?" Kimber asked, and began nuzzling her breasts.

Renee untied Kimber's halter top. "Mhmm. Dean and I..." She stopped, and laughed. "We were having phone sex, yeah, I know that's stupid, but I haven't seen him in weeks, and I've been so horny... Anyway, I confessed to him that I've always wanted to explore my bi side, and surprisingly, he encouraged that."

"I'm not surprised," Kimber said, before she could stop herself. _Open mouth, insert foot._

"Why's that?" Renee wanted to know, as she began to stroke her friend's very sensitive breasts.

Kimber gasped, then moaned before panting out: "He's a...wrestler... He...spends...all of...his...time...with men... Things get lonely...on the road." She squirmed in an attempt to rub her crotch without touching. Renee locked her lips down on one of her nipples, and Kimber gave up and thrust her fingers up the leg of her little jean shorts. Fuck, she was so wet she could feel her juices all over the crotch of the shorts.

Renee smacked her hand gently, and pulled it away. "No, no, no, you naughty girl. Don't play nasty. Touch me, not yourself." She guided Kimber's hand where she wanted it, up her skirt.

But Kimber, suddenly overcome with guilt, slid her hand back out, and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't. I need to talk to Seth first."

Renee nodded in agreement. "I understand."

"I think he'll be okay with it, but I need to make sure before we go any farther."

"Call him," Renee urged.

"I'll be right back." She gave Renee a kiss, and hurried downstairs to the kitchen, where she'd left her purse. As usual, her phone was full of alerts, but she bypassed them and called her man. His phone went right to voicemail, and she realized he was at a show, Europe was several hours ahead of Vegas.

On her way back upstairs, she read her messages. There was one from Stephanie, congratulating her on the upcoming wedding and asking her to call when she had a chance. Since Kimber was pretty sure of what she wanted to talk about, making her and Seth's big day part of the documentary, she decided to let that callback wait until tomorrow.

"His phone went right to voicemail. Considering the difference in time zones, I think he's at a show."

Renee pouted. "Fuck."

"I'm sure he'll call when it's over. For now, let me finish rubbing your back." 


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38 – Pregnant and Alone**

Not surprisingly, Seth was completely supportive of her playing with Renee. But, rather than rushing right back to bed, Kimber suggested they make it a date, and Renee was thrilled. They got dressed up in little black dresses, fixed fancy hairdos, and went to an upscale fondue restaurant, where they sat in a private booth, held hands, fed each other morsels of this or that, played footsie, and kissed. Mild foreplay that got both of them worked up for when they got back to the house. But, when they stood up to leave, Renee gasped, and the color drained from her face.

"I think my water just broke," she said, in a panicky voice. "Either that, or I peed myself, but I really think its my water, because I just went like ten minutes ago, oh my god..."

"Call Dean, right now," Kimber said, and went around to give Renee her arm. Renee was looking down in shock at the water all over the booth and the floor. "Do you want me to call him?"

"No, no...I'll do it..." Renee fished in her purse for her phone. Her hands were shaking so bad Kimber pulled out hers, and called Dean before handing the phone to her friend. "Come on, answer!" She turned to Kimber. "Voicemail." She held the phone in her shaking hand, and tried again. She was crying, and Kimber prodded her out of the restaurant, stopping to apologize to the hostess for the amniotic fluid.

"He's not answering!" Renee snapped, after trying Dean for the third time.

"He's probably asleep. I'll call Seth, and have him get a hold of Dean. Come on, we need to get you to the hospital. I'll drive, but I need directions." She took her phone back from Renee and used it to call Seth.

He answered, sleepy and out of sorts. "Kimber? Sweetheart, is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, darling, but Renee's water just broke, and Dean's not answering his phone. Could you find him, please?"

"Of course, my love. Let me make a few calls."

"Okay, please hurry. I'm taking her to the hospital now. Love you."

"Love you more."

She turned to Renee. "Seth's going to find him. Now, how do we get to the hospital?"

"Fuck, Kimber, tell me this is a dream, a nightmare, that this isn't happening." Renee sobbed.

Kimber turned off the car, and hugged Renee tight. "Calm down. Take deep breaths."

"I'm trying... Oh, fuck! Owwww!"

"Contraction?"

Renee nodded, and the pain seemed to bring her some clarity. "It's the first one." She pulled out her phone to note the time. "We should go back to the house, so I can grab the bag I packed for the hospital. Get out of the driver's seat, I'm okay to drive now. But please call work and let them know I'm in labor, so they know Dean needs to leave."

Kimber got out and switched places with Renee. At nearly the same time, their phones rang.

"It's Dean!" Renee exclaimed, clearly relieved.

Of course, Kimber's call was from her man. "Thank you, darling. Renee's talking to him right now."

"He was down in Jey's room, keeping up the party after the after party, _that_ was not easy to say!" Seth chuckled, knowing his tendencies towards verbal diarrhea. "And he had his ringer off."

"You'd better always leave yours on when I'm in my ninth month," Kimber warned, playfully.

But Seth was very serious. "I never shut it off when I'm away from you, even when I'm supposed to. And, I'm not going abroad after _Wrestlemania."_

"Darling, I don't think you have a choice."

"I'm not missing the birth of our baby, like Dean's going to miss the birth of his first."

Kimber glanced over at Renee, who'd finished her conversation, and was driving them back to the house. "Don't say that."

"I'm already missing way too much. And it'll be a miracle if he makes it there in time."

Kimber didn't know what else to say, so finally she said, quoting Cartman from _South Park:_ "Okay, Seth, you're being a negative Nancy. Stop it. Unless you want everyone to call you Negative Nancy-"

Seth couldn't help laughing.

Once settled in at the hospital, Renee echoed Seth's negative thoughts. She cried and cried, and used up nearly a whole box of cheap hospital Kleenex before Kimber, who really had no idea how to console her at this point, yanked the box away and cast it into a corner before climbing on to the bed and holding her friend tight.

"Stop it, Renee," she said, firmly, and with just a tang of mother's scolding. "Dean will be here soon. He's on the boss' private plane as we speak, somewhere over the Atlantic, and he'll be here, I promise."

"No he won't!" Renee wailed. "It's going to take him twelve or thirteen hours, and I'm already two centimeters dilated. I'm going to have this baby alone! And how can you promise _anything_ Kimber? You got some kind of magic fucking eight-ball up your ass or-"

"No, I don't, Renee. But, you're not going to have this baby alone. Dean will be here in time. But, on the very off-chance he's not, _I'm_ going to be here. And, I won't leave until he's here. Now calm down, even though Dean isn't here yet, this is still a very important time in your life."

"Let's see if you're so calm and collected when you go into labor two weeks early, and your husband is thousands of miles away," Renee spat.

Her friend's words stung, because it was something Kimber often thought about. What if she went into labor during WWE's post-Wrestlemania South American tour? The prospect of Seth missing the birth of his first child, the very thing he was looking forward to most, upset her more than giving birth alone. Well, she wouldn't be _alone._ She planned to ask her parents to come to Davenport to stay with her while her husband was out of the country, and she was sure Seth's parents would be at the hospital as well when the time came. And, of course, there would be the camera crew, ready to film her labor and delivery.

Renee had turned over on her side, and was staring blankly at the wall. Kimber squeezed her shoulder. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Thought you said you weren't leaving," Renee said, but she did give her a small smile.

"I'm just going to get a pop. I'll be right back."

Instead of heading to the vending machines, Kimber went to the nurses' station. "Um, my friend could use some help," she whispered to a middle-aged nurse with short dark hair. Her ID said her name was Tina Samuels, RN, BSN.

The nurse jumped up, and began heading around the counter.

"No, no, it's not a medical emergency. She's just really upset," Kimber explained. "This is her first child, and her husband is flying in from Dublin, and she's terrified he won't make it in time for the birth. It's...it's kind of hard on me, because I'm pregnant, too, and my husband might also be away when the time comes, and..." Kimber trailed off, and began to cry. "I'm sorry."

The nurse handed her a handy box of Kleenex and put her arm around her. "You poor dears. Military wives?"

Kimber wiped her eyes and shook her head. "We work for WWE, you know, wrestling. Our husbands are wrestlers. So am I, but I'm inactive, on maternity leave."

The nurse smiled. "My grandson loves wrestling. His favorite wrestler is... AJ something... It's on the tip of my tongue."

"AJ Styles," Kimber suggested.

"Yes, that's it. He's got a big tattoo of his initials on his side."

"Mhmm, that's him." She was calmed down now, and she realized the simple change of the subject by the nurse from _Fuck, help us, we're pregnant and alone!_ to work had done it. Maybe the same would work for Renee. "I need to get a pop. Is there a vending machine around?"

"Yes. Just go down the hall, and take a left. There's a little lounge right there. I'll go and see to your friend, and if you need anything else, just ask for Tina."

In the lounge, Kimber bought a bottle of Sprite and selected some DVDs to bring to Renee, as all of the "delivery suites" had DVD players. They didn't seem to have much other than rom-coms, chick flicks, and family-friendly stuff, and she picked _Titanic_ because it was classic, and Kate Winslet was hot in it; _The Little Mermaid_ because watching a childhood favorite sometimes brought her comfort, maybe it would for Renee, too; _Fried Green Tomatoes,_ the ultimate chick flick; and _There's Something About Mary,_ one of the funniest romantic comedies ever made. Throw them all against the wall and see what sticks. She thought about adding one or two more, in case Renee decided to watch them all, the run time would get them to the time of Dean's arrival, if Renee didn't give birth by then.

Kimber really hoped her friend's labor would progress slowly. Just as she reached Renee's room, Tina was stepping out. She closed the door behind her and smiled at Kimber. "She's okay now. I told her to get some rest, and she's going to try. If you want to try to catch a nap, too, I'll show you how to fix the sofa in her room into a bed."

Kimber was awoken by her phone. It was Seth's entrance music, she'd given him that special ringtone last week, when she'd been in a playful mood. She silenced her phone, glanced over to see Renee was still asleep, and hurried out of the room before she answered. "Hey, darling," she said with a yawn, and a shiver. "Sorry, I was sleeping."

"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you, my love. What time is it over there?"

She looked at her phone. "About two in the morning. And, you know I don't mind being woken by you. It's the best part of waking up."

"Even when I wake you up with my cock, because it woke me up?"

Kimber smiled and stepped into a random unisex bathroom before answering. "I love it when you do that, it's so cute. And hot." She thought of it, being awoken by Seth grinding against her ass, or one of her legs, so horny for her he couldn't even sleep without making love to her again. It made her horny as hell. "I want you so bad right now."

"Mmmm...I was just going to say that," Seth said, in the sensual tone that he knew damn well that his fiancee loved. "I woke up so hot and bothered for you, I was even humping the bed, the sheet was actually wet from all the precum."

Kimber pressed herself against the edge of the sink and realized that not only was she horny as hell, she really needed to pee, too. With her dress pressed between her legs, she swore she could see her bladder bulging. "And then what? You awful, awful tease."

Seth gave a little, silly laugh. "I finished messing up my sheets. It felt really good, because I wasn't quite all the way awake, and some of what came out in the end was piss, because I always have to go so bad in the morning. It was intense as fuck, and I stayed hard afterwards. Made a mess out of the bathroom pissing through that hard on."

Kimber giggled. "I'll bet. I'm about to make a mess out of this hospital bathroom right now. Let me call you back."

After Kimber peed, she smoothed her dress in front again, and looked down to see the small, almost unnoticeable protrusion had not gone away, and she smiled as warm, happy feelings filled her whole being. Finally, the long-awaited bump...of sorts. She called her future husband back right away. "There's actually going to be a bump in my next bump pic!" She announced. "Well, not much of one, but I finally have a bump. I thought it was just my piss gut, but nope, it's still here!"

He laughed. "You thought our baby was your piss gut?"

"Well, I really had to go. And it already feels like I've been pregnant forever, and I thought it would never show." Kimber left the bathroom, and began walking down to the lounge.

"You've been 'showing' for awhile now, my love. Just because you didn't have a bump didn't mean you weren't obviously pregnant. And, you've still got six months to go."

Kimber sat down on an uncomfortable chair beside a window, and looked out into the night. "I think it only feels like forever because I'm not working."

"You _are_ working, though," Seth insisted. "Our documentary, _Total Divas,_ helping out Marek, that's all work."

"It's not the same. I'm not an actress or an office rat. I'm a wrestler."

"Then you are an actress. A damn good one at that."

"Okay, you got me there. But, I miss the ring. I miss being on the road with you."

"I miss that, too. It's like half of me isn't here."

"I know what you mean," Kimber said, wistfully, thinking of how lost she'd felt since being away from the man she not only loved, but had spent every day and night with that spring and summer. "I miss you so much. I wish you were flying here with Dean."

"Me too. But, I'll be home soon enough. At least that's what I keep telling myself," Seth sighed, and Kimber heard knocking in the background. "Just a sec!" He said, before returning to her. "I gotta run, a bunch of us are going out for breakfast. I'll call you as soon as I get another chance."

"Okay, darling. Love you."

"Love you."

Kimber swallowed the lump in her throat, and ducked back into the bathroom to wipe her eyes and blow her nose before going to check on Renee. The room was still dim, Renee was still on her side, but she was awake. She smiled at Kimber. "Hey."

"Sorry if my phone woke you. It was Seth."

"No, it was a contraction. They're getting stronger, but still about fifteen, twenty minutes apart. I think we rushed to the hospital too soon."

"Maybe. Oh, look!" Kimber smoothed the front of her dress again, and turned to the side. "Do you see it?"

Renee giggled. "Not really."

Kimber took her friend's hand and ran it from her navel down so she could appreciate the world's smallest baby bump. "Yeah, I know it's barely there, but it's a milestone."

Renee nodded, and wrapped her hand around Kimber's, and tugged her over to the bed. "Come lie down with me."

Kimber climbed up on to the bed beside her and spooned her. Renee titled her pretty face back for a kiss. "Thank you. I'm feeling good about Dean getting here in time for the birth, I think he'll make it."

Kimber ran her fingers through Renee's short blonde hair. "I think so, too."

"I'm sorry for snapping off at you before."

"It's okay. I understand why you reacted that way, but I won't lie, that part about going into labor while Seth's away got to me. He's looking forward to this baby _so_ much that I just know he would be devastated if he missed the birth, and that's what hurts."

"I don't think Dean wanted our baby at first."

"I felt the same way," Kimber confessed. "One of my first thoughts was 'where can I get an abortion'. I mean, I never wanted to get pregnant, I had an IUD to prevent it, for crying out loud. But, suddenly, just when I'm entering the highest point of my career, I'm pregnant."

"What made you change your mind?"

"His reaction. Not to my wanting an abortion, because I never told him, but to finding out I was pregnant. He was so happy he cried. He said he's always wanted kids, this baby means the world to him. I couldn't take that away from him, even though it was unplanned and came at the worst time possible. He's going to be a wonderful father. I love that man...so, so much. I'm so happy and excited that we're having a baby that now I can't believe I wanted to...sacrifice him or her just for my career."

Renee took a sharp breath, and Kimber felt her tense. "Contraction?"

"Yeah. They're not too painful yet."

"And the heart rate stays steady during, that's a good thing, I read," Kimber added, as she rubbed her friend's shoulders.

"Yes, I know... I stopped taking the pill, and I didn't tell him," Renee confessed, after the contraction had passed. "Things weren't as good between us, not like they used to be. He was partying a lot, staying out all the time, and sometimes he didn't come back to our hotel room. He'd say he was with Seth, and Seth would back him up of course, bros before hos, but I think he was seeing somebody else."

Right then and there Kimber wanted to tell her the truth, to confirm what Renee thought, and must know deep in her heart, but she knew it wasn't her place, and it definitely wasn't the right time.

"So, I got pregnant on purpose, to shift his focus back to me, to us. Yeah, it was a silly, stupid, childish thing to do, but I've always wanted kids anyway, and I didn't want to wait until I was old. It was mean and selfish, but it brought him around. He wasn't warm to the idea of fatherhood at first, even if he did spend more time with me, but by summer, he'd changed and embraced it." Renee smiled. "I'll never forget the morning I caught him nesting. We'd bought the paint for the nursery the night before, and he got up at three-thirty to start painting, and he put the crib together."

"That's cute."

"Mhmm. My Dean might be many things, but he's definitely cute."


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39 – First Snow**

"It's amazing how much can change in just one year...though maybe it really isn't, because our lives can change with every breath we take."

Kimber nodded in silent agreement with her own words. She was watching a promo on her laptop, for the first episode of the documentary, which would be premiering on the network following the next NXT _Takeover_ show. It was called _Kimber and Seth._

She sat back on the couch, and watched as pictures and videos of her from her indie matches evolved into a highlight of her brief, but stellar, WWE career. "So much has changed in my life over this past year. I signed with the WWE. I became Miss Money in the Bank." She watched herself sitting on the same couch she was currently perched on, only Seth was beside her in the video, and she gave her taped fiancee an affectionate smile, mirroring herself in the clip, which had been taken directly from the show.

"I fell in love," Kimber said, along with taped Kimber. Sadness washed over her, and she paused the video before Seth's part came. She missed him so much she couldn't bear to listen to his voice right now. Seeing herself in the ring only reminded her that it would be months yet until she would be able to compete again, which was something she still struggled with almost every day. Fuck, why had she even decided to watch the fucking thing? To prevent herself from slipping into the doldrums, something that had become harder to avoid once pretty fall slipped away into an early, dead winter, she pulled on her never-used ring attire and took her seventeenth week of pregnancy pic so she could do an update. It made her feel good to see her friends' and followers' likes, and to read the positive comments, and she needed that lift right now.

Right after she posted it, her phone began to ring. Renee. "Hey."

"Hey Kimber. Are-"

"How's Dean Junior?" Kimber asked, not meaning to cut her off.

Renee laughed. "Justin," she corrected. "Sleeping through the night now."

"At six weeks old? No way!"

"Yes way. He gets rice cereal mixed with milk for his last feeding before bed. And, six weeks is another milestone, I had my followup appointment and have been given the all-clear, which means Dean and I can fuck like bunnies starting tomorrow, yay! Anyway, I just called to see if you were okay. I can't explain how, but you just looked kind of sad in that pic you just posted. I didn't want to leave it as a comment."

"The same old shit," Kimber said, as she peeled off the spandex. "Missing Seth. Missing wrestling. I didn't realize I looked sad in the pic." She had tried to clown, mugging in the mirror and pointing at her belly, and to one of her closest friends, it was a fail.

"I don't think most people will notice, unless they know you as well as I do. It's something in your eyes."

"I'll take another one with Seth tomorrow. I know I'll be looking happier than a pig in shit when I pick him up from the airport. Because we're sharing Christmas and our wedding in part two of our saga, the film crew is leaving us alone for Thanksgiving. Everyone is. Of course Brenda wanted us to come over there for the traditional meal, but he told her no, and she got mad about it, and brought me into it to try to make him change his mind, even though I feel the same way he does, I just want this little break to be our time. Does that make me a selfish bitch?"

"No, not at all! My parents insisted on coming out, because it's Justin's first Thanksgiving, not that he'll remember it, but they're going to stay in a hotel, to give me and Dean some space. You don't get much time with your man, so you guys should be alone if you want to be, and his mom should understand that. But if you don't go, you'll have to cook."

"Oh no I won't. Seth said he didn't want me to go through the trouble, he knows I fucking hate to cook, we can have Banquet turkey tv dinners for all he cares."

Renee laughed and laughed. "You're going to, aren't you?"

"Eat tv dinners on Thanksgiving? Yes, we probably will. But, I'll probably splurge for Marie Callender's instead of Banquet." Kimber giggled. Thank goodness for girlfriends, Renee had just done wonders for her mood.

The next morning, Kimber awoke to a world of white. She had seen the snow falling when she'd gotten up to pee around two, which had become a nightly thing, so she wasn't surprised. But, she had forgotten how beautiful winter could be. Outside the patio doors there was a glittering scene from a Christmas card. The skeletal trees were transformed into beautiful, white decorations, and the sun was shining brightly, making everything snow-covered glisten.

She pulled on her robe and let Paulie out through the front door, which had a sheltered porch and watched him play around in the two inches of snow before doing his business and running back inside. In the kitchen, she made coffee, fed the dog, and made a breakfast sandwich. She pulled up the info for Seth's flight on her phone to make sure there wasn't a delay due to the weather. There wasn't. He was due to arrive at 11:14, and she should probably leave earlier than she'd planned, so she needed to hurry up and get ready.

Renee had sent her a box of maternity clothes a couple weeks ago, but Kimber didn't feel ready for them yet, and because she didn't go out much socially, usually wore sweats or yoga pants. Her jeans had become uncomfortable a couple weeks ago, even with the button and zipper undone. Many of her dresses still fit, and for the special occasion of seeing her fiancee for the first time in nearly three weeks, she chose a charcoal gray sweater dress, under which she wore black leggings, for warmth. The dress was clingy, and showed off her growing tummy. She had not dyed her hair since she'd gotten pregnant, and her roots had grown out, reminding her that she was naturally a red head. It was kind of a neat look, orange over black, and she accentuated the difference by loosely twisting her locks back, into a hair claw, with a few tresses loose.

She arrived at the airport with half an hour to spare, found a spot in the parking deck, and walked down to baggage claim. She found his flight on the screen, took a seat in the nearest sitting area to where his bags would come in, and glared at the nearest clock, cursing it to speed up and bring an end to the longest separation she'd ever had from the man she loved.

She noticed she was being noticed. Despite Seth saying many times that it was okay to approach him anywhere but in the airport, some fans doggedly continued to show up. She began to wonder if maybe she'd made a mistake in changing the plans, for she was just supposed to pick him up outside-

"Kimber?"

She looked up to see a young, dark-skinned, athletic man smiling shyly at her, good vibes, and she smiled back, welcoming the distraction of fan interaction. "Yup, that's me. Kimber soon-to-be Rollins. What brings you to the airport on this fine Thanksgiving Eve...?" She extended her hand.

The guy shook it, and offered his name. "Andre. I'm here to pick up my sister. Congratulations on your pregnancy, and the wedding."

Kimber automatically caressed her belly. "Thank you."

"When are you returning?" Andre sat down in a chair adjacent to hers.

"Probably sometime in the summer. I can't wait. I really miss it."

"Wrestling is all I've ever wanted to do since I was knee-high. I'm saving up money for training."

"Are you local? You know my guy just happens to own a wrestling school right here in Moline." Kimber smiled.

"Yeah. That's where I want to train," Andre said, his voice, and his pretty brown eyes, full of hope.

"That's where I'll be working the ring rust off after the baby comes."

"You have a school, too, don't you?"

"Yes, Demoness and Duchess, in Arcata, California. That's in Humboldt County, by the way. Of course, I haven't had much involvement in it since signing with WWE and getting pregnant, but our very first student signed with New Japan this summer. Big feather in my cap. For Raven, the Demoness of Demoness and Duchess, it was like the baby bird leaving the nest, bittersweet."

"That's awesome. So are you. I'll admit I was just a little afraid of coming to talk to you, because I heard that a lot of wrestlers hate being approached at the airport, but I'm glad I did."

"I'm glad you did, too. Talking to you is helping the longest fifteen minutes of my life pass by a lot quicker, and far more pleasantly than they would have had I just been sitting here with my thumb up my ass." Kimber chuckled.

Andre smiled. "Happy to be of help. Why is this the longest fifteen minutes of your life?"

"Well, it's not, but when you're away from those you love, every minute feels like an hour, every day feels like a week, every week-" Kimber stopped short as she felt a strange fluttering in her lower belly, and she realized it was the quickening. "Oh my gosh, I just felt the baby move for the first time!" She pulled out her phone. "Mind if I take a picture? I like to document everything that goes on in my pregnancy."

"Yeah, go ahead. Do you mind if I take one, too?"

"Please do."

They each took a picture of themselves together, the hopeful future wrestler and the ring veteran on maternity leave. "Don't share that quite yet," Kimber told her new friend. "Seth doesn't know I'm meeting him down here in baggage claim, the plan was for him to call when he landed, so I could just pull up at the curb. I wanted to surprise him."

Andre chuckled. "I should get out of here before he shows up. I heard how much he hates being stalked at the airport." His phone whistled at him. "My sis just got in."

Before Kimber could reply, her phone began playing her fiancee's theme. "Darling! I just felt the baby move for the first time!"

"That's wonderful, my love. We just landed. I can't wait to see you, I've missed you so much."

"You'll be seeing me a lot sooner than you expected. I'm here, darling, down in baggage claims with my new friend, Andre. There are a few people hanging around with stuff for you to sign, they haven't approached me, they must think Andre's my bodyguard." She winked at Andre, and he laughed. "I actually invited him to come to the school on Friday and check it out, because he wants to train."

"All good things...all good things. Well, except for the people hanging around with merch and markers. Fuck, anywhere but the airport. I'm going to hang up now. I'll see you in a few minutes. Love you."

"Love you, darling."

And, in a few minutes, she saw him running towards her, and she got up and began running, even though her eyes were running, too, blurring her vision, and somewhere in between, they met. Kimber wanted to throw herself into his arms as she had so many times before, and he was anticipating it, he'd slung his carry on over his shoulder, but she threw open her coat instead. "Don't squash the baby," she said, softly, and his arms wrapped around her and drew her in close.

"I missed you so much," he whispered into her hair.

"I missed you, too. Every day felt like a week..." She began to cry, overcome with joy and relief. "I'm...I'm just so happy you're here."

He sniffled. "There's no place I'd rather be... Here, where I belong."

Kimber looked up to see him smiling playfully, even though his eyes were bright with tears, and she smiled back before they kissed for the first time in nineteen days.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40 – Thanksgiving**

Kimber and Seth spent their first holiday together lazing around the house in sweats, cuddling, kissing, making love, and napping in each others arms. They totally ignored their phones until they put their tv dinners in the oven sometime around two, and took a selfie with the ratchet meals. _Happy Thanksgiving from Seth, Kimber, baby, and Paulie._ She didn't even care that she hadn't put on her makeup that morning, not practical with all the playtime they'd had that day, which had required two showers so far. The world was going to see her laboring and birthing, so what did not having makeup on in every photo matter anymore? It's not like she looked completely different without it, like some of the women she worked with.

After the tv dinners and bakery-made pumpkin pie, Seth brought up two big storage totes from the basement. "What's that?" Kimber asked.

Seth opened the bigger one. "The tree." He opened the smaller tote. "And the decorations."

"But we won't be here for Christmas," she objected.

"I know, but I still want to put up the tree. It's the official start of the holiday season," he said brightly, and began pulling out artificial tree parts, then stopped. "Oh! I forgot, I bought you something. Be right back."

Kimber began arranging the branches by size, though she still didn't see the sense in putting up a tree at their house when they'd be having Christmas with her parents in California. She was looking forward to that, not just seeing her parents for the first time in nearly a year, and her sister, Brynn, for the first time since last Christmas, but she'd be going on the road with Seth for the house shows leading up to Christmas Eve's _RAW._ She was looking forward to catching up with everyone backstage, and-

"Here you go, my love." Her fiancee reappeared and handed her a clothing box wrapped in Christmas paper.

"Should I open it now, or wait until Christmas?"

"Open it now," he said, eagerly.

She ripped off the paper, then the tape on the box. She lifted the lid to reveal one of the gaudiest sweaters she'd ever seen in her life. Red and green striped, with a rainbow of different colored reindeer tangled in real Christmas lights stumbling across the front. She looked over at her man, smiled, and shook her head. "My first ugly Christmas sweater."

"Don't worry, you don't have to wear it on Christmas," Seth told her. "I bought it for our Christmas card photo, for when we go decorate the school tomorrow, ugly sweater parties, that kind of stuff."

"I hope you bought yourself something just as tacky." She found the switch, and turned the lights on, goodness, they even flashed. She flicked them off again, and laid the sweater on the couch, and got up to kiss him.

"I did. I even bought Paulie something festive to wear. Once we get the tree up and decorated, we'll take the picture."

Kimber sat down on the floor and fanned out the fake branches to look as natural as she could before handing them over to Seth to fit together. Once it was done, he joined her on the floor to untangle strand after strand of lights. She remembered doing the same thing with Raven in years past, and with her sister before that, while waiting for the branches on the natural tree to fall. She liked the glow of the old lights of her childhood more than that of the new LED type. The LED ones definitely untangled easier, and once she'd cleared seven strands to Seth's three, she got up and headed to the kitchen. She'd realized what this holiday prep work was missing. Cocoa. Not the prepackaged kind like Swiss Miss, but the kind made on the stove, with cocoa powder, milk, and sugar, just like her mom used to make for her and Brynn while they decorated the tree, or when they came in from playing in the snow.

Seth came in while she was at the stove, wrapped his arms around her from behind, and caressed her growing tummy. He kissed her shoulder. "Cocoa, that's perfect."

Kimber turned into his embrace and kissed him. "Tradition. Mom used to make it for me and my sister when we decorated the tree, even when we were adults, and I always carried it on wherever I was. First in Milwaukee, then in Arcata. I even did it for my host family when I was in Canada." She smiled in reflection of all the holiday warmth and closeness, and thought about other traditions she could carry on with her new, growing family.

Seth began rummaging in the cabinets. "Houston, we have a problem. No marshmallows."

"We have spray whip, a compromise," Kimber replied, and went to get it from the fridge. Like many pregnant women, she'd developed a yen for ice cream, and she liked it with all the fixings.

Seth grinned, and took it from her. "This could be fun later."

She giggled, and went back to the fridge. "If you want to play with our food, I've got lots of stuff in here that would be good for that. Strawberry topping, raspberry topping, chocolate sauce..."

He grabbed the ice cream toppings. "You're making me hungry. Let's go!"

Kimber turned off the stove. "I've never done food play before, fair warning." Then, suddenly she remembered Alexa and the peanut butter and the sexual anticipation that had been building evolved into a sick feeling. She had done food play before, had been forced to do it. She had not thought much about Alexa in a long time, but she realized she had to think of her. Next year, the pay per views were all going dual-brand, so she might have to work with that awful human being at some point.

"Neither have I. It's really just an excuse for me to eat junk food off of your hot body. Hey, is something wrong?"

"The food play brought up a bad memory... That time Alexa made me eat peanut butter off of her, and made me eat her out, just so she could squirt in my face like that spitting dinosaur in _Jurassic Park."_

Seth set the jars and bottles down on the counter and took her in his arms again. "I'm sorry, my love. I never want to trigger anything bad."

"It's not your fault, darling." Kimber stroked his beard. "In fact, you did everything you could to protect me whenever you could. You even put your own neck out on the line, figuratively speaking, of course, to get me into that match with Matt."

"Well, I wouldn't say my livelihood was ever at risk, after all I'm _Seth Freakin' Rollins_." He said his name as though he were shouting it into a microphone, and Kimber couldn't help but giggle. Seth smiled to see her happy again. "I wonder if you'll return as Kimber Rollins, or just Kimber."

"Probably just Kimber. If they gave me a last name, they'd have to change my logo."

"But then you'd get new merch, and make them more money, so I'm thinking you'll get a KR, with the cross hairs, but instead of a circle, you'll retain the heart."

"And you have retained mine." Kimber stood on tiptoes to kiss him. "They'd have to change my entrance theme, too. May they not add _Burn it down!_ to my music."

Seth laughed. "The only other option was a quasi-seductive _Ooooooo...Kingslayer._ "

Kimber tried it out. "Ooooohhh...Kingslayer..." She moaned, as though she were in the throes of sexual pleasure.

"Coming from you, it sounds sexy as hell."

She felt him grow hard against her. Since they were talking work, she couldn't resist another joke, though. "What if they make me the first female member of the Shield?"

"Then I'd be working like this all night." He pressed his hard on against her.

"You really _do_ have some kind of fetish for me in tactical gear, don't you?"

He blushed, and gave her a sheepish smile. "Yes, but only you. I don't know what it is... I even went online to find matches where you used the gimmick and, well, you know, pleasured myself to them."

Kimber smiled. "That's actually really hot."

"My favorite video is called _Britney Melrose Holy Shit Moments._ Has the most clips of you in tactical gear. And fuck, honey, every single one of them was a holy shit moment. Some of them I'd already seen, but there were a few fan videos I hadn't, including that swanton bomb off the top of the cage."

"Which one? I did that spot in every cage match I was in."

"You know, that time you said you pissed your pants, but it wasn't out of fear."

"It wasn't!" Kimber protested. "We got stuck in traffic on the way to the event, so we had zero time to prepare. We had to get dressed in an empty meeting room, as fast as possible, and we couldn't find the lights. I'd done my makeup in the car while Raven drove, but she didn't get a chance to do hers, which is why she wore the mask. And, I wanted to piss before the match, but I couldn't find a bathroom. The whole fucking match all I could think about was pissing. In any other match, I could've slipped under the ring and taken care of it, but you can't do that in a cage match. It got to the point that I knew that if I didn't pee before I jumped, I would definitely lose control from the impact. Since I didn't want to go all over Raven, Colette, and Cobalt, I just went on myself, hoping no one would notice, and no one did."

"I couldn't tell." Seth pulled out his phone and played the video for her. Kimber smiled as she remembered every spot, every opponent, though not necessarily the cities. She watched a compilation of her best high-risk and hardcore spots, and admitted that yes, that spot was _the_ spot, what had been the worst moment of her career, until she'd signed with WWE, of course.

"But, I've also had some of the best moments of my career, the most important moments, the moments I cherish, since signing," she added, when the video was over. She hugged her guy. "If I'd not signed with WWE, it's unlikely we would have ever met."

"That's a scary thought."

She nodded. "It really is. You got me through the hardest time in my career. When you came out for your match with Hunter at _Wrestlemania_ and you were all dressed like a knight, I had no idea that you would one day be my knight in shining armor. You saved me that night." Kimber trailed, overwhelmed by the powerful love she felt for him, from him, between them.

"You saved me, too. I was on a downward spiral, that cliché fucking downward spiral. I hated my life. I started drinking more to try to escape, to numb the pain I felt inside every day. I became hateful towards others, clumsy in the ring, my booking was shit, everything was shit, like in that _South Park_ episode. And then there was you. I didn't really know how to react to the news that you'd be coming on the main roster. I'd seen some your indie stuff, of course, and knew that if you were utilized properly, you'd be a huge asset to WWE. Then someone told me that you wrote fan fiction, and links were shared all around, and I realized that you'd written the stuff that Dean and I had enjoyed. Well, we still enjoy it." Seth laughed, and turned on the burner under the pan of cocoa before kissing his fiancee. "But, because Dean had dumped me, I was just so hurt that I misplaced resentment and anger on to you. I'm so sorry, my love."

She kissed him softly. "Water under the bridge."

"No matter how ugly I treated you at first, you never returned it. Despite everything you'd been put through, you did everything you could to rise above it. You never lost your determination or your sense of humor. I found inspiration in your strength. Being around you made me fix myself, and I began falling in love with you really early on."

"Me too," Kimber said. "But there were times I faltered, had feet of clay, and you got me through them. Being with you, having a baby, even our documentary- and wouldn't they just love to have captured this particularly revealing scene in our lives? Everything just feels so natural... Oh! The baby's moving again!" Instantly, Seth's hands went to her stomach. "Only I can feel it," she told him. "It'll be a few more weeks before you can. Sucks, because I really can't wait to share that with you."

"Our wedding is in just a few more weeks, too."

She nodded. "I can't wait."

As they kissed, the doorbell rang, Paulie barked, and they parted lips to attend to the impromptu guest or guests. "I hope that's not my parents," Seth said, on their way to the door. He looked through the glass, and smiled. "It's Marek." He opened the door to invite him inside.

Marek came bearing gifts; a bottle of whiskey for his best friend and business partner, and a large gourmet chocolate cupcake for the mother-to-be. Hugs and Happy Thanksgivings were traded in the trio, Paulie was scooped up, and they went back to the kitchen. Kimber served her cocoa and told Marek about Andre while Seth hurried off with Paulie to put on their ugly Christmas sweaters.

He returned a few minutes later holding another gift-wrapped box in front of his ugly green sweater. "I was going to give this to you tomorrow, for the school pictures, but since you're here, here you go, man. Happy Thanksgiving." He set the box down in front of Marek, and revealed the front of his sweater, which made his best friend and his girlfriend burst into uncontrollable laughter.

It said BIRTHDAY BOY in rainbow lettering at the top, and below was a cartoon head that was supposed to be Jesus, but it looked just like Seth. Kimber laughed until tears ran down her face, and Marek couldn't finish what he was trying to say. "It... You... Where did... Fuck!"

"Shit, guys, calm down, it's just a sweater." Seth whistled. "Paulie! Here, boy!"

Kimber managed to get her giggles under control and wiped her eyes with a handy napkin so she could see Paulie in all his holiday glory. But, the dog was not coming.

"Paulie!" Seth called again. "He probably can't hear me over your hysterics," he told Marek.

"Okay...okay, I'll shut up." Marek took a deep breath, and looked away from Seth and the awful sweater to help himself get back under control. "Fuck, I hope mine's not as a bad as that," he told Kimber.

"Oh, I'm sure it is. You should see the one he gave me."

"Paulie! Here, boy!"

"He probably don't want to come because he's embarrassed," Marek said, and giggled helplessly.

Seth went to get his dog, and had to carry him in to the kitchen. Clearly, the dog was humiliated in his Santa's Little Helper costume, a pug forced to masquerade as a cartoon greyhound. Of course, his reaction was enough to get Marek going again, but he eventually stopped laughing long enough to take the Rollins family Christmas card picture.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41 – Girl Talk**

On December 19th, Kimber fled the bitter gray cold of Davenport for sunny, hot Phoenix with film crew in tow, ready to document the next chapter of the documentary, the couple on the road together for the first time in months, two house shows, various obligations, Kimber backstage with her friends at _RAW,_ Christmas with the Melrose family, and of course, the wedding. Part one had done very well, as did anything attached to Seth. It meant she was doing well, too, as she was more attached to him than anything, or anyone, else.

In an airport bathroom, Kimber traded her Midwest winter gear for sundress and sandals after saying her "We've just landed in Phoenix" bit for the camera. Then, on to claim her luggage, her rental, and flap her yap more before finally finding peace and privacy in her hotel room. She was hungry, but she was tired, too, she'd risen at two in the morning to get on the very first flight of the day. She relaxed on the bed, fuck was it comfortable, and picked up the remote. She put on a random episode of _Law & Order: SVU_ and folded her hands on her tummy. The baby was moving, flipping around inside of her, it seemed, and she moved her hands to see if she could feel it from the outside yet and to her delight, she could, at last. She could finally share the baby's movements with her guy.

Last week, she had had her twenty-week ultrasound. Everything was perfect. Like Dean and Renee, Seth and Kimber had decided to keep the gender of their baby a secret even from themselves, and had merely asked the technician to tell them there were genitals, and he had laughed, and said yes.

Even though Seth had been present for her appointment, that and a Simpson's-style dinner and dancing (eating Popeyes in the car in the parking lot while rocking out to "It's not Unusual" on the radio, a video of which Kimber shared on her social media) was all they had before he had to go back to the airport. Before that, he hadn't been home since Thanksgiving. Even though it had been nearly four months of living apart, she still hadn't gotten used to it, and wasn't sure she ever would. No, she didn't cry about it anymore, she was happily going about each day doing her thing, but she still slept with pieces of his clothing she pulled from the hamper. He wouldn't meet up with her for several hours yet. Even though his flight was due in less than two hours, he had to go to an interview right away, and a public appearance afterwards. It would have been nice to sleep that time away, but four pillows didn't seem like enough, and her stomach was empty. It was never easy for one to sleep when hungry.

She pulled out her phone and contemplated whether to order room service, delivery, or go and get something herself. Before she could ponder it too long, there was a knock on her door. She wasn't expecting anyone, the camera crew was leaving her alone until Seth got to the hotel. She looked through the peephole and to her surprise and delight, it was Bayley! And, she had what looked like a bag of takeout. Kimber flung open the door with a happy yelp.

"Oh, Kimber, you're the most beautiful pregnant woman ever!" Bayley exclaimed, and set the brown paper bag on a table so they could hug. "But fuck, do I miss you."

"I've missed you, too. It's been so hard to be stuck at home."

Bayley nodded. "I know the feeling. Well, I wasn't home pregnant, of course, but injured. And, every day felt like a week sometimes." She went to the bag, and began to unpack it. "Seth sends his love, and this Thai food. Well, I picked the food, so I hope it's okay, he just asked me to bring you something to eat once I told him I was going to surprise you."

"I love Thai, thanks." Kimber split her chopsticks and began to eat. Bayley did the same. "I know what you mean about every day feeling like a week. The past month's gone by really fast, though, so many last-minute wedding details to deal with. I never thought so many people would want to come, either, with having to work the holidays and all. Our guest list went from twenty to sixty. I had to cut it off there, because the place is only so big, and our wedding planner was pleading for a final count."

"Um, I invited Elias to come with me. I hope that's okay," Bayley said, her voice pregnant with apology and hope.

"Of course, I told Chase seventy, just to be safe."

"Thank you! You know I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm so happy for you guys. It's just the perfect love story, something most people only dream about." Bayley's face was set in a wistful smile, and she was blushing, and she giggled.

Kimber gave her a smile and raised a questioning brow. "Think you might be living the dream, too?" Of course, she knew Bayley had developed a crush on her mixed tag team tournament partner, Elias.

Bayley blushed even redder. "I think I am. Fuck, am I smitten with him. He sat next to me on the flight here, actually asked Seth to trade seats, so I knew that he'd picked up on my feelings, or maybe never-shuts-up-Seth had dropped him a hint. He could probably smell my pheromones I was so hot and bothered, and I froze up like a fucking school girl, I had no idea how to tell him that I wanted to walk with Elias. He took out his guitar, and played and sang for me. Because my ears were stuffed, and my heart was pounding so hard, I could barely hear him, but it felt very romantic."

Kimber laughed.

"Yeah, go on and laugh. Seth's been laughing at me since the damn tournament started. I know I act like a total dumb ass when I like someone."

"Well, I couldn't tell you were hot for him in the matches."

"Oh no, in the ring I'm all business. And, he kissed me when we landed."

"I reckon that boy likes you," Kimber said, in her Southern belle voice.

"Lord, I hope so," Bayley said. "Because I really, really like him. Not just in the I-want-to-jump-his-bones kind of way, either, even though I want him that way, too."

Kimber giggled. "Yes, you want to walk with Elias."

"Oh yeah. I..." she trailed off into giggles before beginning again. "I got a glimpse of his goods when I was bunking with him one night. He's _gifted._ I wanted him so bad I ended up going down to the sauna at like three in the morning, I was all by myself, and I...well, you know, rubbed one out."

"You dirty girl," Kimber teased. "Jilling off in public."

"What can I say, it's a big turn on for me, the possibility of getting caught. When I, and yes, I'm saying _when,_ not if; when I lay Elias for the first time, I want it to be somewhere backstage."

"Oooh, you're bad. I ought to put you over my knee, pull your skirt over your head, and give you some spankings," Kimber replied, in her most sultry tone.

Bayley instantly half-rose, and flipped her skirt, making as if she would take a spanking from her friend, but she giggled and sat down again. "Come on, you and Seth never did it backstage?"

"Well, we have, but not with each other, and I haven't done it since I was in the indies."

"Why not?"

"Timing, I guess, and confession time. Not very many people know this, but Seth and I haven't been a couple as long as most believe. When Seth announced that we were in a relationship on social media, it was a lie to put us in the spotlight, and to give me a push. We didn't actually consider ourselves a couple until _RAW_ was in Las Vegas, and didn't fuck right away either, but when we did, I got pregnant. Here's where the timing comes in. I had to have the IUD taken out, and was forbidden from having sex for two weeks, which was the last two weeks I was on the road."

"Ah, gotcha. Anyway, subject change, before I get too worked up." Bayley took a break from her noodles and fanned herself with a Hilton notepad. "I had an idea, for work. I think the Shield should become a bona fide faction, with more people in it."

"Are you recruiting me?" Kimber dramatically rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"You do have experience."

"Because my tag team partner insisted on a gimmick of imitating gimmicks, and thank goodness it was just a phase. Though I have to say, when I did that Shield thing, I had no idea I would one day marry the guy I was ripping off. Isn't it ironic?" She sang the question.

"Don't you think?" Bayley sang in reply. "But yeah, that is pretty crazy. You guys are totally made for each other, though."

"Mhmm. Even before we were boyfriend/girlfriend we were very close. We had an amazing level of comfort with each other, like we'd known each other forever. We even fell asleep in each others arms every night from the second night we were together."

"Such self control! If I'd had to share a bed with Elias that night, I don't think I would have been able to restrain myself."

"I didn't have those feelings for him right away. It was about comfort, for both of us. We were both going through a lot. You know what I was dealing with, and Seth was..." She stopped, still not knowing whether Bayley knew about Dean. "I kind of think of it like two small boats out in a storm, tied together to weather it better."

Bayley nodded. "Now, about this Shield thing. I think we should be the first females in it."

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah. I don't think I ever told you this, though maybe you know, but when I was out injured, I got some cojones and asked, no _begged_ Vince to let me change my character upon my return. At first he said no, but I wouldn't let it go. I couldn't let it go. All my life I've wanted to be a wrestler, a superstar. I worked so fucking hard, sacrificed so fucking much, and made it all the way to WWE's main roster before they made me into a joke. At the time I got injured, I was getting no crowd reaction at all. I felt like my career was dying. Even though I was scared to do it, I kept at Vince, and bit by bit, I wore him down and convinced him that a character change was necessary, and promised I would make it work and be a draw again. Because I pulled all of that off, and the wristband thing, Vince now respects my creative ideas because they make him money. So, I'm going to go to him with the Shield idea."

Kimber got up and walked over to her luggage and unzipped her biggest suitcase. "Well, if you really want to be in the Shield..." She produced her Architect costume and laid it out on the bed. "I had Raven send this over."

Bayley's eyes lit up, and she hurried over to look. She picked up the tactical vest and smiled. "Can I try it on?"

"Yeah, you can try it all on, you can even borrow it if you want to, but I need it back by my wedding night."

"You're going to wear this on your wedding night? Why?"

"Because my dear husband has a fetish for me in tactical gear, and I want to surprise him. We've joked around about my return booking, and he said he doesn't want me in the Shield because he'll be working with a constant hard-on." Kimber giggled.

Bayley laughed. "Though I bet Vince won't be able to resist making you a Shield member, if he takes to my brainchild."

Kimber shrugged. "Come what may."

"I wonder if Elias has a thing for women in tactical gear. I think I will try this on, and send him a picture."

"It's all here but the blonde hairpiece. The last time we used the gimmick, in a falls count anywhere match, it fell out somewhere."

Bayley pulled on the pants and then took off her skirt. "I don't think you can wear these on your wedding night, Kimber."

Kimber looked down at her belly. "I guess not."

Bayley traded her top for the tight black crop top and pulled the tactical vest on, and broke into a huge shiteating grin when she saw her reflection. "Wow...just...wow..." She pulled on the gloves. "I'm not going to try to fit into your boots, I know I've got big feet, so just don't take a picture of my feet." She posed smiling, with her fist out.

"Quit smiling and look tough," Kimber ordered.

"This is just for Elias, I want to smile, he told me I have a beautiful smile."

Kimber shook her head and took the picture and looked at it. "You look like Roman in that meme picture, with that big smile and superman punch. _Practice safe sex! Say NO to drugs! Knock out bullying!"_

Bayley took her phone back. "I do _not_ look like a Roman meme! I look freaking awesome! I look so cool I honestly want to cry. Thank you so much, Kimber."

"Make sure Elias doesn't share that. I don't want Seth to find out I brought that stuff."

"He won't. I'm tempted to have you take another pic, with just the vest and no shirt."

Kimber reached over and slapped her friend's very shapely ass. "Naughty girl."

Bayley laughed, and admired herself in the mirror. "Yeah, you got me."


	42. Chapter 42

**42 – The Merriest Christmas Eve**

"I read some stuff online about 'babymoons', a second honeymoon some couples take while expecting," Kimber said, "but because we haven't had a first honeymoon yet, I kind of think of this time as our honeymoon before the wedding."

"A working honeymoon," Seth added.

They were sitting on the couch in the sitting room of their hotel suite, talking to the cameras for part two of their story. Kimber smiled, and squeezed Seth's hand. "I'm just happy we're together again, and for more than just a few days."

"Me too."

"And, at this time next week, we'll be married," she added, and he turned and kissed her. "And, I'll be Mrs. Rollins."

Seth hugged her. "Mrs. Kimber Freakin' Rollins."

"I think the baby likes the sound of that, seems to be doing some swanton bombs in there. And, you can finally feel it." She guided his hand to the right spot, how nice for the documentary that the cameras were there to catch the expectant father's reaction to feeling his unborn child move for the first time.

He knelt down so he could put his cheek to her tummy. She could feel his tears dampening her (well, Renee's) maternity dress, and she stroked his hair and smiled down at him. He looked up at her. "I love you so much right now."

"I love you, and I can't wait until our baby's born. Nineteen weeks to go!"

Kimber really couldn't wait until the baby was born. Backstage at the house show later that night, her very soul was aching. While it was wonderful to see her friends again, her heart yearned to be pulling on her ring gear as they were while discussing their matches. But instead, she sat on a locker room bench, wearing a gentle smile through the pain inside. She was so depressed she began to think she was wrong to come, and for the sake of her baby, tried to think of good things, of funny things, but her eyes were welling with tears.

Bayley noticed as she laced her boots and wrapped her arms around her friend. "What's wrong?"

"I really miss wrestling. I don't want to dwell on it, the sadness isn't good for the baby, so tell me, does Elias have a thing for girls in tactical gear?" Kimber wiped at her eyes, and sniffled.

"No, but he has a thing for me."

"Did you walk with Elias yet?"

"Don't you think you'd be the first to know if I did?" Bayley asked. "So, no, but I did tell him about my friskiness for riskiness, and he's excited about that."

"Going for it tonight?" Kimber smiled for real.

"He wants to wait for _RAW_. Bigger risk than a house show."

Kimber laughed. "You guys are crazy."

"Crazy horny," Bayley replied.

During the Shield's match, Kimber drifted to the vantage point she used to watch from, more bittersweet nostalgia. She used to stand here in her ring gear with pregnant Renee, now she was standing alone, pregnant and dressed in Renee's clothes. She realized it was something she should share, and took a selfie, careful to be looking off into space in apparent reverie, so her friend wouldn't worry she was sad, and sent it to Renee, along with a message. _Backstage at the show, remembering when you and I used to stand here, watching our guys, and realized I'm wearing your dress, too. Miss you so much._

Renee replied: _That made me smile, I miss you, too._

Before Kimber could reply that she was watching the guys right now, Hunter suddenly appeared. "How are you doing, future Mrs.?"

Kimber's hands automatically went to her belly, as they always did whenever someone asked her that question, and she smiled. "I've been really well. Ever since I got through with the morning sickness, I've had tons of energy, which has really helped with all the last-minute wedding details. I think everything's in place now, though." It was all true. Even if she couldn't wrestle right now, she was still doing really well. Her pregnancy was going perfectly, she was less than a week away from marrying the man she loved, she lived in a beautiful home, had the support of tons of family members and friends, and her wrestling school in California was turning a very nice profit due to the fact _she_ owned it and had recently reached an agreement with Hot Topic to sell Demoness & Duchess t-shirts and hoodies. Not only that, but Ginger had been extended an invitation to compete in next year's Mae Young Classic.

"That's great. Steph and I are really looking forward to it, so happy for both of you."

"Thank you. I'm so excited I feel like I'm going to burst."

Hunter laughed. "Don't burst yet, too early," he said, and pointed at her belly.

"They say that home is where the heart is. My heart is here, and I feel like I'm home," Kimber said, into a camera. She was sitting on the set of _RAW,_ in a folding chair in the ring,hours before the show. All around her in the background, men and women were at work on the special Christmas theme, setting up this, coordinating that, but it was all very quiet.

"Merry Christmas Eve. I'm now into my fifth month of pregnancy-" she knew her social media bump update pic would be shown at this point in the documentary, "so I've got a lot of energy-" insert vid clips of her working out, chasing Paulie in the yard, etc. "I really want to be doing a lot more in this ring right now than just sitting in it." She couldn't help but fidget, she really did want to get up, throw the chair out of the ring, and start doing things she had no business doing while pregnant.

"I can't wait to come back. I love being a WWE superstar. I love my fans, and I'm so grateful for their support, both in, and now out, of the ring. I really miss being on the road with my guy-" possible insertion of clips of her and Seth from _Ride Along._ "And, our wedding is in four days!" She gave a little excited yelp before getting serious.

"I-" Kimber stopped, and took a few swallows from a bottle of water while she collected her thoughts. She was no longer itching to climb the ring ropes, she was filled with love.

"After Seth signed with WWE, people in the industry began to compare me to him, and that was one hell of a compliment... Fuck, I'm going to stumble through this, you'll have a lot of editing to do, but this is what these segments are all about, right?"

Production guy Kevin laughed. "Yeah. Say what you need to."

"Meeting Seth was the most pivotal point in my life for so many reasons. A year ago, I would have never imagined I'd be getting married and having a baby. And, I feel lucky."

She had never told the story of her unplanned pregnancy in the first part of the documentary, though she had revealed that she had counted back the dates, and had likely conceived the very first day they had sex. Because some comments she'd received on her social media accounts had gotten to her, she continued. "Clearly, I didn't plan on getting pregnant at this point in my career. I was taking precautions. I had an IUD with a failure rate of point eight percent. So, when I got pregnant despite that, it felt like it was meant to happen." Kimber caressed her belly.

"The IUD had to be removed, which carried a risk of miscarriage. But, since we found out so early, it was a very slight risk. And, luck was on our side. My pregnancy has been perfect, and even if it wasn't planned, we're very excited we're having a baby together." Insert a montage of pics of the happy couple doing expectant parent things together.

Seth suddenly appeared behind her and hugged her.

Kimber kissed her guy.

"Let's go grab some food before the show starts." He gave her his hand.

"You don't have to ask me twice, darling," she replied, and giggled.

Several of their friends joined them around a huge table in a classic Chinese restaurant across from the arena. Kimber couldn't help but think about _A Christmas Story,_ her favorite Christmas movie, but they didn't have Chinese turkey, everyone had the mediocre, half-warm buffet. Bayley handed out Santa hats and even gave Kimber and tiny one to perch on her belly. Sasha, whom Kimber had only met a couple nights ago, handed out candy canes, and gave the mother-to-be two. There was happy conversation and a lot of laughter, and a lot of congratulations and well wishes to Seth and Kimber, though many of them would be at the wedding on Friday. Her stomach was rubbed and patted more than a Buddah, and the baby seemed to be enjoying all the attention, a lot of people got to feel the kicks.

 _This is what the holidays are about,_ Kimber thought. _Loved ones, friends, food, and laughter._ And soon, she'd be seeing her family for the first time in ages. It had been too long. She had spent more time with Seth's parents than her own this past year, Brenda in particular, who stopped by often to help her in ways she didn't want, or need, like bringing her prepared meals, cleaning the house and doing the shopping while Kimber was at the school, walking Paulie, etc. But, because Kimber knew she might appreciate that kind of help in a few more months, she only thanked her soon-to-be mother-in-law and devoted her spare time to her wedding and travel plans, her modified workouts, and dreaming of her in-ring return.

She'd also begun thinking of the eventual end of her pregnancy, giving birth. She was considering scheduling an induction near her due date, not only to get a better idea of her return date, but so that Seth would be able to be there the whole time, and for the longest time possible after they brought their baby home. She wanted to have a natural labor and delivery without drugs or an epidural, and she knew she'd need his support in the hospital, and help at home. She knew her parents, and probably Seth's as well, would be there to give her a hand while she recovered, but she wanted her man at her side.

She snuggled up to him now, and he responded by putting his arm around her. She took his hand, and kissed his wrist. "Merry Christmas Eve, darling."

"The merriest, my love," he replied, and they kissed, long and deep, until someone began to bang on their glass with a fork, and others followed suit. He broke the kiss and laughed. "Four more days and you can do that," he told their friends.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43 – Holiday Road**

Kimber's parents and sister were awed by Seth and overwhelmed by the cameras she'd long ago gotten used to. Brynn was so uncomfortable with the film crew that she spent most of the holiday trying to avoid them, dashing through whatever room they happened to be in, a blur of red hair and festive green dress, which made Seth laugh every time she did it. Kimber was less amused, scolded her younger sister when they were alone in the kitchen, arranging a plate of desserts, and warned her she'd better not be running around like that during the wedding, and reminded her to shave and put on deodorant before that, too. She didn't know what had caused an invisible rift between them, but Brynn seemed to hold her at arms-length, mentally and somewhat physically, when she'd hugged her that morning, it hadn't seemed as tight as before.

"I remember to do that every day now, _Britney,"_ Brynn retorted, twisting her sister's name with childish sarcasm.

Kimber had always hated when Brynn said her name that way. "Fuck, why do you have to be so fucking immature?"

"I'm immature? You're the one who just told me to put on deodorant."

"Yeah, and you're also the one shrieking and running away every time you see a member of the production crew. You're ruining our documentary, and I'm not about to let you ruin our wedding."

Brynn rolled her eyes. "Please. Your documentary is ruining Christmas for everyone besides you two! Fuck me running! I understand that you're a big deal in this whole WWE thing, but why did you have to bring a fucking film crew _here, Britney?"_

"That's another way you're ruining the documentary, quit calling me Britney! You have to say 'Kimber', or they have to edit it over later." Kimber was fuming. "What the fuck's gotten into you? Why the hell can't you just be happy and supportive of me?"

Brynn's freckled cheeks reddened, and she bit her lips. Her hazel eyes teared up, and she shook her head.

Kimber softened. "Brynn, please. I need to know what's wrong between us so we can fix it."

"Oh, Brit, I mean, Kimber, it's not your fault..." She swiped at the tears that had run down her cheeks, and her sister's eyes watered in sympathy.

"I feel like it's my fault," Kimber said, and wiped her cheeks with a napkin.

"It's not... I'm just...jealous of you, and it's weird for me, because I've never been jealous of you before, not even when we were kids. Fuck, I feel so stupid saying this stuff."

"Brynnie, it's okay."

"No it's not. Here you've got an amazing life, you're famous, rich, you've got the most wonderful fiancee, an exciting job, probably fucking millions of people are following your pregnancy. What do I have? I'm a fucking office rat in the middle of a desert! I don't even have a fucking cat to talk to! You've always been better than me, Brit...Kimber."

Kimber hugged her sister. "That's not true! I might be able to entertain millions of people around the world, but I don't know even a quarter of what you know. I couldn't even get through three semesters of college, and you've got a master's degree. You're an IT supervisor for the federal government and you're only twenty-six. I could never achieve that. You may not have been jealous of me when we were growing up, but I was jealous of you," she confessed.

Brynn looked up in surprise.

"You were always so smart, so good. I used to think mom and dad loved you more than me."

"That's not true."

Kimber smiled. "Of course, I know that now. But, I think that's why I was always outspoken, a rebel, and why I was always showing off. I wanted attention, approval. But even when I got my black belt, I still felt as though I wasn't as good as you. I think it was a driving force in my decision to get involved with the wrestling industry after the whole college failure. I had to find something I was good at."

Brynn smiled softly. "Isn't it strange how the tides have changed?"

Kimber nodded. "But, no matter how jealous I got, I always loved you, baby sister."

"I love you, too, Kimber."

They hugged. "Awww, you said 'Kimber'."

Brynn nodded, then blushed. "Hey, do you think you could hook me up with one of those WWE guys?"

Kimber laughed. "Maybe, if you stop acting like an asshat every time you see a camera."

"Hey, what's keeping you two?" Dad poked his head in the door.

The sisters each grabbed a tray of treats. "We're coming now, Daddy," Brynn said.

Kimber and Seth flew to Florida the next morning and so did the production crew. However, their travel wasn't documented, and they had the entire day just to themselves, what was left of it anyway, once they'd arrived at the rented mansion in Naples.

It was perfect. Kimber couldn't believe it was for her use, for her wedding, she had never been inside such a grand home before, not that she herself didn't live in an enormous home, but this was just over the top. Their suite was made for royalty, the bedroom was nearly big enough to play badminton in. His and hers bathrooms with shower stalls, with doors that opened upon a huge, sunken black marble tub in a room that was nearly all windows. It overlooked the ocean, too, the pristine stretch of beach she'd be taking her vows on the day after tomorrow.

She was overwhelmed by the beauty, the enormity, and the fact that her wedding was so near. She stood at the wall of windows, watching the sun set, and letting the tears go. A little while after she stopped crying, Seth came.

"I found the gym," he announced. "Want to do a quick workout?"

It was just what she needed. "Yes."

They went to their bags to change into their workout clothes, but once they were naked, they got distracted, and instead of going down to the gym, they exercised both their bodies and minds with a little lovemaking. The mind workout was thinking of comfortable positions for Kimber that wouldn't make her feel like she needed to pee, as she'd gotten further along in her pregnancy, most of them did. At home, on their protected bed, she'd just go with it, and often pissed and came at the same time, which was so intense it was crazy, but here in this fine rented home, she really didn't want to do that.

"I'll go get a mattress cover tonight," Seth said. "I can't believe neither of us thought to bring one."

"Too much other stuff to think about," Kimber said, and kissed him. "Why don't you just take me out in the yard and ravish me there, darling? We don't have to be careful. We can fuck as hard as we want, in any position we want, and if I end up pissing it doesn't matter because we don't have to clean it up."

"I believe," Seth began, as he stroked her hair, "that on an estate like this, it's called a _garden,_ not a yard, but who the fuck cares. I love it when you piss while we're fucking."

"Ditto," Kimber replied. However, it was something he'd not done since she'd gotten pregnant. Neither of them had been able to find any information online about whether or not it was safe, and Kimber didn't feel comfortable asking Dr. Sportiello. Since they had found information that douching during pregnancy could be dangerous, they had decided to give it up for the time being, since it was a similar process.

Seth helped her out of the last place they'd attempted to fuck in, the big, sunken tub which was none too comfortable without water in it. Hand in hand, they went out through the "hers" bathroom, and Seth stopped her before the huge mirror in the dressing room, and caressed her stomach as they looked at their reflections. "You're glowing, my love... And I'm blushing, because I'm so turned on by your pregnant body. Even though I always think you're hot as fuck, you've never been hotter."

She kissed him. "Illinois' hottest. Well, now Iowa's hottest."

"And my wife...the day after tomorrow. Shall we head out to the garden?"

"Yes, darling. But I think we should put on some clothes first, just in case." Kimber went to her luggage, and very carefully removed an oriental silk robe from the bag that also contained her tactical gear. "And shoes." She slipped her feet into her Adidas flip-flops.

Her future husband put on a pair of gym shorts and sneakers. "Ready?" He asked. She nodded, and he picked her up and carried her downstairs, through the back patio doors, over the other side of the threshold, which made her giggle. He stood on the patio, looking out on the gardens and the beach. "Where shall we go, my love?"

"Anywhere but in the sand. I don't know about you, but I think that making love at midnight in the dunes of the cape is overrated. Sand gets everywhere."

"How about right here?" He set her down on a wall of a proper height and kissed her.

"I think this could work." She wrapped her legs around his body and drew him in. "Let's try. And, let's hurry, it looks like it's going to rain."

Seth looked up at the purplish-blue sky. "Good, it'll destroy the evidence."

They laughed together, and kissed some more. Kimber untied her robe and let it slide down her shoulders, which were free of hickeys since she didn't want them in the wedding pictures, she'd made him stop, and Seth stepped out of his shorts. As he positioned himself to enter her, he slid his hands under her ass, and lifted her off the wall, at the same time sliding his long, hot, throbbing cock inside; she was already so wet from their previous attempts and foreplay. She gasped at the intense mixture of pleasure and discomfort each time he brought her down, and after only a little while, she couldn't stand it anymore. "Ohhhh..." She whined, and reached between her legs.

He set her back on the wall, but he didn't pull out, he kept going. He gently bit her ear, and pulled her hands away. "Just let go..." He left a trail of kisses down her neck, stopped to give her another gentle bite on her shoulder, then thrust into her deeply with a sassy grin.

It made Kimber lose control and she peed all over Seth's groin while he kept fucking her deep, and the stream was cut off by a hard, strong spasm of her tight pussy. She tightened her legs around his hips in an attempt to draw him in even closer, but they were already as close as they could possibly be. His lips locked down on hers, and she started pissing again, followed by another spasm, over and over until her bladder was empty and all that remained was the orgasm. Before she was done, Seth came, too, and they clung together a long time afterwards in the humid afternoon. Over his shoulder, Kimber looked out at the strikes of heat lightning breaking up the sky.

She felt Seth startle. "What is it?" She asked.

"I think I heard something. Probably just the wind." He relaxed again, and kissed her.

"Hey! There you are!" Dean shouted with great gusto, making Seth and Kimber jump about six feet in the air. "Mind if we join you?" He and Renee began walking towards them, hand in hand.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44 – Friends and Lovers**

While Seth and Dean showered in the "his" bathroom, Kimber drew a bath for Renee and herself in the big tub with a view. "Sorry about having to clean up before we even begin," she apologized. "I piss during sex now, which is why we were fucking outside."

"That didn't happen to me, not until afterwards, and it only happened once. It was my fault anyway, I should have peed beforehand, but Dean wasn't put off by it at all, in fact he liked it. Do your Kegels and you'll be fine. And no need to apologize, I like to take a bath or shower after I've been traveling. And this one's going to be one to remember." Renee stripped out of her clothes.

Kimber stroked her friend's amazingly in shape post pregnancy body and kissed her. "You can believe that."

They giggled and kissed some more, and when the tub was filled, they climbed down inside. "Bubbles?" Kimber asked, as she found the control panel.

"Yes please."

Kimber pressed the button to turn the tub into a jacuzzi and sat back in Renee's arms. "Mmmm, this is so nice."

"Mhmm..." her friend agreed. "You shouldn't stay in long."

"It's not too hot. I think the heat is where the concern is, not the bubbles and jets."

Renee nodded, and kissed the back of Kimber's neck before beginning to massage it. "Oh, fuck, Renee, that feels so amazing... Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Of course sweetie."

"When did Dean tell you about Seth?" She was dying to know more about that conversation, more than she wanted to play.

"Yesterday morning, right when he got home. I could tell right away something was up, and he just let it out. He started crying a little, and told me he'd been keeping a secret from me for too long, and couldn't go on hiding from the truth. Of course, I was a complete mess already, when he started crying, I started crying, and I was starting to get pissed, but I didn't get the chance because he told me right away. He said 'I'm in love with you, but I'm in love with Seth, too'. And, it was weird. I didn't get pissed. I didn't feel betrayed or heartbroken. It was as if some subconscious part of me had already known. You always knew, didn't you? I mean, you wrote all those stories."

Kimber blushed at the mention of her fan fiction. "When I wrote that stuff, I didn't know either of them, so it was just my biggest fantasy. Seth got drunk the second night we were traveling together, and let it slip out. He'd been miserable for months because Dean broke things off."

"Dean was miserable, too. Now I understand why. He needs Seth in his life, as his friend, brother, and lover. I never want to take that away from him. Also, I think it's pretty hot."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't feel it was my place to do so."

"It's okay, sweetie." Renee gave her a squeeze. "You were right, it wasn't your place to say anything. And right now, your place is here, with me. Let's finish what we started before I went into labor."

Kimber smiled and caressed her belly. "Just as long as I don't go into labor this time."

"If the way you and Seth were going at it didn't make you go into labor, I don't think anything I can do will."

"The way we were going at... Oh, you watched us. You dirty, dirty girl."

"Oooh, that was hot, Kimber, calling me a dirty girl. I like that. You guys look super hot when you're fucking, too. We didn't mean to come upon you that way, we tried to call you both to let you know we were coming early, but no one answered. No one answered the door, either, but we saw the car, so we knew you guys were around someplace."

"And you found us."

Renee giggled. "Yeah... So... I've never been with a woman before. Where do I start?"

"Well, you know what makes you feel good. Try it on me." Kimber turned off the bubbles and started climbing out of the tub. "We'll go to the bedroom." She handed Renee and towel, and took one for herself.

"What if the guys are in there?"

Kimber raised an eyebrow. "What if? Don't tell me you haven't wanted to watch them play. I know I have. I've wanted to be a fly on the wall wherever they've been alone ever since I first heard of the Shield."

"You've never seen them together? You _brought_ them together."

"Well, I've seen them kiss. And, no I didn't bring them together. They were into each other since their FCW days, back when I was still making a hundred a night in bingo halls and high school gyms. I didn't even write fan fiction back then, I was too busy writing everything else for RCCW."

"Don't you own that?"

"I was a minority owner, and I had an open contract which allowed me to wrestle wherever else I wanted. I sold my shares to Chad so I could open my wrestling school. He left me the option to buy them back whenever I wanted, and at the same price; no kinder man ever existed. Well, I can't say that, because, you know, Seth, but Chad's always been like the brother I never had. Seth is...I think he's a soulmate."

Renee smiled. "And what are you and I?" She asked, coyly.

"Friends and lovers," Kimber replied, and gave her a kiss. "Sisters in motherhood. I think a lot about the night we met, when you handed me your sweater over the door. Tell me if I sound like a dumbass, but now it seems like it was an omen or something."

"Or a curse," Renee quipped.

It was a joke, and Kimber did not miss that, but she said: "It wasn't a curse. It feels like... I'm on top of the world, like I've got the life. Everything is perfect."

The huge bed was empty. "Looks like we've got it all to ourselves," Kimber stretched out on the bed and reached back to adjust the pillows for her comfort before patting the place beside her.

Renee smiled and crawled across the bed, looking somehow feline. She curled up beside Kimber and gently stroked one tattooed thigh. Kimber kissed her just as gently, and spread her legs just a little. "It's okay," she whispered. "My body is your playground."

"You'll let me know if you don't like something or if something hurts?" Renee asked.

"Of course."

"Good girl," Renee responded, and stuck her tongue out teasingly before leaning down to kiss one of Kimber's ultra-sensitive nipples, which made her whole body jump in response, and a breathy moan of pleasure made Renee look up at Kimber and smile. "I guess you'll let me know if something feels good, too."

"I'm very vocal." She drew her friend's head back down towards her breasts and stroked her hair and used her other hand to play with the nearest breast and nipple, which distracted Renee to lean up and kiss her passionately.

"You're so fucking hot, Kimber." Renee's hand found Kimber's hard button, and she spread two fingers around it and began to tease.

Kimber responded with a whole chorus of lusty cries as the tingling feeling between her legs rose. "Are you sure...you haven't...been with a girl...before?" She panted out.

"Just myself. But I love it...yeah, I just love it."

Kimber realized Renee was using her free hand on herself. "Dirty girl, you'll go blind."

Renee laughed. "Is that why you wear glasses?" She gave Kimber's stiff clit a little spank.

"Mmmmph!...Yeah, probably..." Her hand drifted downwards, because Renee had stopped rubbing her.

"No, no, no, dirty girl," Renee scolded, and gently pushed her hand back. She gave Kimber a big smile, then dove between her legs. "I don't know if I'll be any good at this, but I want to try."

"Oh, fuck, Renee..." Kimber moaned as Renee began to work her tongue around her clit. "You're going...to make...me...cum!"

"Good," Renee responded, and began to rhythmically suck Kimber's button.

It was so intense that Kimber began to moan and curse; her entire body was tingling as though she'd just done a popper. Just as she burst into a loud, lusty orgasm, during which she did not pee, because there had been no penetration, Seth and Dean, both of them hard, and naked except for gym shoes, came through the doorway.

 _"That_ is fucking _hot!"_ Dean declared, with an amazed, silly grin on his face. "I have the hottest wife in the whole world!" He hurried over, and helped her up, only to guide her to lay down on the bed beside still-recovering Kimber, and kiss her.

"Yes, you do," Kimber agreed, and turned to kiss Renee, too, before Seth stepped out of his shoes and joined them all on the bed.

"At this time on Friday, I'll have the hottest wife in the world," he said, and kissed Kimber.

"I just had the hottest idea..." Renee said. She put her index finger on Dean's chest. "You fuck me while he fucks her, right here. Let's find out who makes who cum first."

It _was_ the hottest idea ever, Dean and Seth competing to see who could make their woman cum first, they were all in agreement, and ready to go, except for Kimber, who didn't want to piss the bed. However, everyone else said they didn't care, but they did layer her side of the bed with every towel they could find while she used the bathroom, and she felt better about it, with all those towels, there was no way she'd ruin the bed.

She curled up to Renee and kissed her, as Dean and Seth knelt above them, kissing and casually stroking each others cocks. The women parted lips to watch in awe, Kimber's fantasy was finally fulfilled, she was really seeing the Shield play together, and it was just as wonderful, no, it was even more wonderful than she'd imagined and written.

But, they parted ways, and turned towards their girls. "No, don't stop," Kimber said.

Seth smiled. "My dirty little fucker. This isn't about me and Dean, it's about you, my love."

She laughed. "Darling, I disagree. After all, isn't this a competition of sorts between the two of you?"

"Ah, you've got a valid point there..."

"It doesn't matter," Dean said, and kissed his wife, then his boyfriend. "May the best man win."

"And let the fucking begin!" Seth added, and the guys fist-bumped before turning to their girls. "Ready?" He asked Kimber.

"For you, darling, always."

He kissed her. "Alright, let's do this."

As always, when she came together with the father of her unborn child, her very near-future husband, her soulmate, her Seth, it was pure bliss and love. Even though they were on the same bed with Dean and Renee, Kimber was no longer really aware of them, only herself and her guy as one being. And, it didn't take very long before she began feeling like she had to pee, and cum. Seth picked up on the change in tone and tempo of her cries, and leaned down to kiss her, and as he did, he hit the spot, and sent her off the edge into a strong orgasm.

"I win!" Seth declared, without skipping a beat in his rhythm.

"Damn it," Dean replied, without stopping either. "Damn jet lag..."

"I'm going to cum!" Renee announced breathlessly, just before it happened.

"Me too, really soon," Seth said.

"Can you shoot it on Dean?" Kimber asked.

"I like that idea," Dean said, eagerly.

"Where...do you...want it?" Seth panted. "Quick!"

"I want to try to catch it in my mouth."

Seth pulled out fast, and stood up on the bed. Kimber propped herself up to get the perfect view of the money shot, her incredibly hot boyfriend shooting his load all over his boyfriend's face, which Dean tried to lick off as he continued to please himself and Renee. "Oh, fuck, Seth, that's so fucking hot..." His words trailed off, and he suddenly groaned, his cum-splattered face contorted in ecstasy. "Mmmmpf... Even though I lost, I think we all still won."


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45 – Kimber Goes Bridezilla**

The next morning, all hell broke loose. The film crew arrived at four in the morning to set up, but Kimber had the foresight to see that they had a key, so that she and Seth could sleep in...ish. They still had to be up by seven, to meet with the wedding planner at eight. Seth's parents arrived just before lunch, and instantly, Brenda was all over her future daughter in-law with questions and suggestions about favors and decorations, even as Kimber tried to get some last-minute calls made to confirm everything for tomorrow, but every call was interrupted by beeps from calls on the other line and texts, most of them from friends, letting her know they had made it to Florida, and asking her if she needed anything. Before long, the house was filled with people, but nothing was getting done, and by the time she left with Seth, Renee, Dean, and Ginger to pick up her dress before returning for the rehearsal, she was ready to explode, especially after Brenda left to buy some wedding-themed M&Ms that Kimber didn't want.

Her dress didn't fit over her baby bump, and Kimber lost all of her cool. "Stop it!" She snapped at Renee, Ginger, and the bridal shoppe attendant who were all trying to pull the dress down. "It doesn't fucking fit! I knew this would happen, I just fucking knew it! I fucking _told_ you guys to leave it roomy because I was pregnant!" She turned her anger on the attendant. "I'm getting married _tomorrow!"_

"Kimber-" Renee began, and touched her shoulders.

Kimber burst into tears and almost collapsed into her friends' arms. "What the fuck am I going to do? I'm getting married tomorrow and I don't have a fucking dress! Fuck me! Take this fucking thing off me!"

"I'm certain there's some way we can let out your dress-" the attendant began.

"Shut the fuck up and take this fucking thing off me, now!"

"Brit!" Ginger said, reproachfully. "She said they could fix your dress, calm down!"

"I'll get Seth," Renee said, and left the dressing room.

"This isn't _my dress,_ it doesn't even fucking fit, and how the fuck do you expect me to be calm when I'm getting married in less than thirty hours and I don't have a dress?" Kimber screamed hysterically as she put her own dress back on. _"Fuck it!"_ Then she was only crying in a heap on the floor and Ginger was holding her.

"Shhhh..." Ginger soothed, stroking Kimber's black and orange hair. "Everything's going to work out. Even if you don't wear this dress, you'll have a dress, and you're getting married tomorrow to your knight in shining armor. And, speaking of, here he is."

Seth replaced Ginger, who left with the attendant and the dress, as Kimber's crying towel, and when he began to talk, she didn't hear him, because the smell of champagne on his breath lit the fuse on her anger once more. Yes, she knew the bridal shoppe served complimentary champagne, but fuck, that didn't mean he had to take advantage of it. She needed his support right now more than she needed anything else. "How the fuck can you be so selfish?" She snapped, in the low, tight-lipped voice she used to communicate with the refs and her opponents in the ring. She'd become mindful of the cameras outside.

Seth responded in his ring voice, too. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been drinking. Today of all days, you just _have_ to party. Did you forget we're not only getting married tomorrow, but we've also got a documentary to make? You're so fucking selfish!" Kimber was so upset she knew she should just shut up, but she wanted to scream. She kept it a frustrated growl in her throat.

"Baby, it was _half_ a champagne flute. Please, calm down. Think of our baby." He stood up. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

Even though Seth had been nothing but patient and kind in response to her ugliness, Kimber still felt at her boiling point. "You go for a walk," she spat. When he winced, she suddenly felt terrible, and a pain so strong filled her chest that she had to scream, fuck the cameras, they could edit it out later. Her man was steadfast, and knelt down to take her in his arms and let her have a tantrum like a three year-old. It was her bridezilla moment, and after she had exhausted herself, she felt better, peaceful, like the world was no longer coming to an end.

"Better now?" Seth asked, and snugged her.

Kimber nodded. "Let's get out of here." She stood up, and suddenly felt very dizzy, and everything went black.

When she came to, she was lying on her back on the floor of the dressing room, with a throw pillow under her head. Above her, concerned and familiar faces hovered, and she tried to sit up. "No," Seth told her gently. "She's awake now," he said into his phone.

She could hear sirens, too. He was apparently on the phone with 911. "The paramedics just pulled up... Thank you." He hung up, and knelt down beside her and held her tight, shaking with silent sobs.

"Darling, I'm fine. I think I just stood up too fast."

Kimber also said she was fine to the paramedics, since the baby was moving around as usual, and her blood pressure checked out fine, but everyone insisted she go to the hospital. She protested. The house was full of people, their rehearsal was mere hours away, and there was still so much more to do. But, Seth and her friends won her over, and Kimber was put on a stretcher, and carted away in an ambulance with her future husband, who looked out the back window to report to her that their friends and the camera crew were in hot pursuit.

At the hospital, Kimber was taken up to a private room on the maternity floor and hooked up to several monitors, two of them strapped to her stomach. The baby's heart rate was perfect and she wasn't having any contractions. As she answered questions, the reason for her fainting became apparent to her; she'd had almost nothing to eat all day, and not much to drink, either. When her labs came back, she was diagnosed as dehydrated and hooked up to an IV. She was also brought a tray of food, and it was actually good, though maybe it was only really good because she was starving.

The camera crew wasn't allowed to film much in the hospital, only in a small conference room, in Kimber's room, and only when she wasn't with any hospital staff. Seth left her to give them an update, and Kimber, who'd finished eating, pressed her call button.

"Can I go now?" She asked the young, pretty red-headed nurse who was prompt to answer her call, and introduced herself as Kristen. "My wedding rehearsal is in less than three hours, and I'm feeling much better."

"Dr. Schauer wants you to have two bags of saline infused, and stay on the monitors for the next few hours. If everything keeps looking good, you can probably go home after you're rehydrated," Kristen replied.

"I don't have a few hours to lay in bed doing nothing," Kimber replied. "I'm getting married tomorrow, I don't have a dress, I have a house full of friends and relatives, I need to _go."_

"Let your guy and your friends handle things. You need to think of your health and your baby right now," the nurse replied.

"I'm _fine,"_ Kimber insisted. "I never had a single contraction, my baby's just as active as always. I promise I'll stay hydrated on my own, I'll drink Powerade and water until I'm pissing my pants, but I _have_ to get out of here." She sat up. "Come on, take this shit off of me." She gestured at the lines.

"I really think-"

"I really don't care..." Kimber trailed off and let loose a frustrated growl. "Fine, I'll do it myself." She began undoing a strap around her belly just as Seth came in.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting out of here."

He sat down beside her on the bed, and held her hands. "No, you're not."

"I feel fine now. You shouldn't have called 911. Let me up, we've got to get back to the house."

"Dean and Renee are already on their way there, and so is Chase. They can handle things."

"No they can't," Kimber insisted. "They can't handle the situation with my dress, or be me at the rehearsal. And, my parents and Brynn will be arriving in less than an hour, and they don't know anyone from work or your family... Fuck! I need to be there!" She hastily pulled her hands from Seth's and began undoing the monitors again.

Seth just shook his head. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?" He took her in his arms, gently but firmly.

"Let me go," she ordered, as she struggled to find a way out of his grasp.

"Nuh-uh," he replied. "You're going to stay here until the doctor releases you."

"But our wedding-"

"Will happen tomorrow as planned," he finished. "I'll see to it."

Kimber couldn't see how her man could be so cool, calm, and collected. _He_ hadn't been involved with much of the wedding details, how could he be, with his travel schedule, so how was he supposed to know what they were? "Damn it, Seth, how can you be so fucking blasé at a time like this? This is our _wedding,_ we only get to do this once, and-"

"Kimber, if you leave before the doctor says you can go, there won't be a wedding tomorrow."

His serious words made her give up the struggle, and look into his face. It was all business, and she knew he meant exactly what he said.

"You might have said that I'm being blasé about the wedding, but you're being blasé about our baby. It's like you're not even thinking about our baby at all. I love you so, so much, but I can't marry you if you're going to put our baby in danger. Hell, if I hadn't been there to catch you, you would have fallen belly-first on the edge of that platform thing!"

Kimber began crying for the countless time that day, Seth was right. She wasn't thinking of their baby, she was only thinking about being the perfect bride, the perfect hostess, having the perfect wedding. "You're right," she told him, and sniffled. "I'm so sorry, darling. I'll stay here as long as I have to."

Seth hugged her and stroked her belly. "I'll handle the wedding stuff."

"Let Chase deal with it, it's what we're paying him for. I want you here with me." She scooted over in the bed to make room for him to get comfy, too.

"No place I'd rather be." He stroked her hair, and she closed her eyes.

"You know, I don't care if I have to get married in rags and a million things go wrong tomorrow because we didn't rehearse. I'm marrying _you._ My knight in shining armor, the father of my unborn child conceived in love, my darling, my Seth." She turned to see him smiling.

They kissed, then snuggled up, and like they had so many times before, fell asleep in each others arms.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46 – Mr. and Mrs. Rollins**

The next morning, Kimber was awoken by Seth, who set down a breakfast tray on her night table. "Happy Wedding Day, my love."

She opened her arms, and he sat down on the bed beside her to be taken in. "Why did you let me sleep so late?" She asked, and yawned.

"Part of my wedding gift to you. You're going to have the most stress-free wedding day a bride has ever had-" He was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Be right back."

Kimber sipped an espresso, and looked at the breakfast tray. She recognized Mom's french toast and smiled.

Seth came back in. "We have to do this over again," he told her.

She sighed. "Of course." She went to their luggage and pulled on a D&D t-shirt and a pair of pajama shorts. "Reality my ass."

"Ready?"

"No, I have to pee first."

After the soon to be married couple replayed the last few minutes for the cameras, the groom left his bride with a kiss. Kimber ate and talked about her mom's french toast. In a few minutes, there was a familiar knock on the double doors, followed by the rattling of the doorknob; her family's secret knock, and she asked the guy closest to the door to let in whoever it was.

It was her little sister, and she didn't run from the cameras. Even though her face was very pink, so painfully self-conscious, she gave a little smile, and hugged Kimber. "Mom wanted me to come see if you were done with the dishes. I'm _so_ excited about the wedding! I even shaved my legs and under my arms like you said to," Brynn said, and giggled.

Big sister playfully swatted her. "You're such an ass. But you're my sister and I love you."

Brynn looked around nervously, and whispered: "I don't know if this is okay to say in front of the cameras, but I have something I really want to tell you."

"I'm sure it's fine, but if it's not, they'll edit it out."

"Um...okay. Remember how I said I wanted to meet someone that you and Seth worked with?"

Kimber nodded, and grinned. "Who is it?"

"Well, I've met lots of people since I got here yesterday, and you weren't around, and everyone was _really_ sweet, but...I'm sweet on someone." Brynn had gone from pink to red to purple with her confession. "I'm totally _smitten._ "

Kimber bounced excitedly, and grabbed her sister's hands. "Who is it?" She asked again.

"He's so funny. When we first got here, he could see I was totally all shy-mouse like usual, and-" Brynn was interrupted by another knock on the door.

"Could you see who that is?" Kimber asked.

Brynn left, and in a few moments, Kimber heard her give a little, excited scream, and some shushing in muted, female voices. Soft, rustling sounds from the sitting room, more muted voices, but she heard Renee say: "No, we can redo it, but this needs to happen off-camera."

Curious Kimber sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed when Renee and Ginger walked in with her wedding dress. Brynn was holding up the short train. "Before you say anything, it's been fixed," Renee said, quickly.

She got up and walked over to the dress. She had not gone with the one she'd found on the internet, instead she'd gone to a high-end bridal shop in Naples to find the perfect dress, and had decided on the mermaid-style, to accentuate the life she and Seth had created with their love. Also fitting for a beach ceremony. It was pure white, with glass beading throughout the bodice and short train. She smiled, and a peaceful feeling washed over her before embarrassment over her behavior the day before came simmering to the surface.

"How did you...did they..."

"The owner of the shop felt so bad about what happened, and probably wanted to avoid bad publicity, so they found a pregnant woman to stand in for you and altered the dress as best they could," Ginger said. "They also offered to come out here and alter your dress on-site if it doesn't fit, so you'd better try it on."

"Not yet, though, we have to redo this for the documentary," Brynn added.

"Listen to you, talking like a star," Kimber teased. "And, you owe me a secret," she whispered as she hugged her. Then she turned to everyone else. "Okay, let's do this."

Kimber had thought that the hours leading up to her wedding would drag by like a turtle taking a shit, but before she knew it, it was just before five o'clock, and she was standing in the great room, trembling with excitement. Even though her day had been as stress-free as the groom had promised, she'd still been plenty busy, and with the documentary, she'd had to do various little interviews, and some scenes had to be redone. They'd just finished taking their wedding pictures, choosing to do them before the ceremony so cocktails and dinner could be served immediately afterwards. They were not having a formal reception, just dinner and a cake cutting, though people who weren't staying in the mansion could stay and party as long as they liked, the newlyweds planned on making an early exit, and getting an early start on their wedding night.

When Seth had come up to get her, she'd known right away he'd had a few drinks, but today she didn't care. He had worked damn hard to give her an easy day, it was a day to celebrate, and she loved him more than ever, even if he'd broken the seal and his piss break was holding up the ceremony. She had still not learned who her sister was crushing on, and had more or less dismissed the available male _RAW_ roster who'd come to the wedding, and stepped closer in her bare feet to look out the expanse of glass and the wedding guests on the beach below, trying to spot Brynn, but it was futile without her glasses. Nature had cooperated, and provided them with a beautiful sunset.

Her guy appeared. "Ready?"

She kissed him. "More ready than I've ever been for anything."

"Me too."

She took his arm, and they walked barefoot down to the beach. Kimber couldn't help but smile when she saw everyone smiling at her. Her mom and Brenda were both crying tears of happiness, and when she handed off her bouquet of white lilies to Brynn, Dolph Ziggler was sitting beside her, and she gave them a smile and nod of approval. Dolph was a good guy, even if he was older.

She and her groom locked hands and eyes, and she could see the love for her in his, along with her reflection; a beautiful, happy bride. Their traditional ceremony was very fast, and in less than ten minutes, they were pronounced as husband and wife, Seth was given permission to kiss his bride, and they were presented as Mr. and Mrs. Rollins. Kimber was so happy she felt as though she'd been floating somewhere above the ceremony, just her and Seth in their own little world, and was glad she'd be able to watch it again in the documentary.

They went back up to the large patio for the receiving line, where they received lots of hugs and congratulations from their family and friends. Seth also received more than one shot, some people had detoured to the open bar before offering their well wishes. After downing the third one, he apologized to his wife.

She kissed him full on the lips. "No, you go on and have a good time. Just make sure you're not too drunk to appreciate my wedding night surprise."

Seth smiled. "Planning something out of our ordinary?"

"Maybe..." She replied, with a teasing lilt. "It seems we're done with one more wedding tradition, husband," she added, as no one else was around them, everyone had gone off for the bar, and to sit down at the tables that had been set up for dinner.

"Great, let's go eat. I can't wait to see what you've planned for later, Mrs. Rollins." He looked down at his tented pants.

Kimber giggled, and took his hand and they went to sit at the head table. He abandoned her for the bathroom, and she looked out on her happy guests. Someone was approaching, without her glasses, Kimber could only make out a female form in a black dress, long dark hair, and before she could actually see to confirm, she knew in her heart it was Raven. She hadn't spoken to Raven in at least a couple months, though she had sent her an invitation, Raven had not responded.

She was more beautiful than ever, with her pale, perfect skin and perfect body, clad in a stylish black wraparound dress and black come-fuck-me-boots. She also looked rather angry, or hurt, her dark red painted lips were not smiling. Kimber gave her a tentative smile, and looked around for the cameras, which were thankfully filming the guests. "Hello, Kimber."

"Raven-honey, you know you can call me Brit-"

Raven shook her head. "Nah, you're Kimber now. Property of WWE."

"Raven-"

"Look at you. You're really full of yourself these days, aren't you?"

Kimber was shocked that the woman she'd once loved more than anyone else in the whole world would be so ugly to her on her wedding day of all days. She had no idea what to say, and while her eyes wanted to search the crowd for rescue, she forced herself to keep her gaze locked on Raven.

"You used to be the baddest bitch in wrestling, and now you're just a diva. You sit here with your cameras, and your big-name new husband, and totally blow off your responsibilities at your wrestling school to go and work in _his_ wrestling school-"

Kimber's emotions went from shocked to pissed. "I have _not_ blown off D&D! I just got Hot-fucking-Topic to carry our merch, didn't I? I'm pregnant, Raven, there's not a whole lot I can do right now. My doctor won't allow me to get in the ring even to train anyone until after I have the baby. All I do is bookkeeping and some cleaning. If you want me to take over the books, I'm sure I can-"

Raven shot her a disgusted look. "Fuck you. D&D doesn't need you. _I_ don't need you. I just came here to tell you I want to sell the house. You're not the only one who can move and build a family. Tansy's pregnant and we're getting married." She held her hand in Kimber's face, showing off her ring, which was nice, but did not rival Kimber's nearly six-figure one. "The legal way, too. We've already got our license and-"

"Congratulations," Kimber said, remembering what Seth had told her long ago, that she was the better woman, to rise above and be the better woman. "How far along is she?"

"Oh, just shut up, Kimber. Don't act like anyone matters but precious, precious you. I just want to know if you want to buy me out, or just sell the house."

"Let me think about it, okay?" Kimber replied, calmly. She caught sight of Seth returning, with Marek beside him.

Marek saw Raven, too. "Raven McCallister! The Demoness of Darkness! The Goddess of the Night! Queen of the Underworld! Finally, we meet!"

Raven turned, and put on a happy, delighted face to greet Marek, though her "Hello, Seth," was rather cold, especially when contrasted against Kimber's memory of the first time her great loves met. Seth didn't miss her tone, and gave his wife a questioning look.

"She wants to sell the house. And, she's angry, jealous," Kimber whispered.

His eyes narrowed at Raven, who wasn't paying attention. "She didn't threaten you, did she?"

"No, darling, not at all."

Marek offered to get Raven a drink, but she politely refused and said she had to be going. Which she did, without offering congratulations to the newlyweds. It was an awkward, sour note on their special day, but at least it was over, and the cameras hadn't captured it. She hoped the groom didn't look as drunk in the final cut as he was, though she had to admit he did carry himself rather well, and remained aware of his role and where he was.

After dinner had been served, Chase came over with a microphone and handed it to Seth. He and Kimber stood up and banged on their glasses with their spoons until their guests took attention. "Thank you," Seth said, into the mic. "Sorry to interrupt, but we just wanted to say a few quick words. First of all, we want to thank all of you for coming to share our big day with us."

"We wouldn't miss it, Seth! Never!" Dean shouted drunkenly from his table, and was met with chuckles and agreement as Renee playfully shushed him.

"I know a lot of you came from far away, and have very little downtime, so your being here really means a lot. Thank you. Very special thank you to our parents, we love you-"

"We love you, too!" Kimber's dad called back, and her mom wiped her eyes, which made Kimber do the same before taking the mic.

"Renee, Ginger, and my baby sister, Brynn. You were all my maids of honor today...well, technically, Renee, you'd be a _matron_ of honor, not a maid-"

"Maid sound better!" Renee said, adding more pleasant laughter to the occasion.

"Yeah, I guess it does. But, if it wasn't for Renee and Ginger, I wouldn't have had this beautiful dress to get married in. I can never thank you enough." Kimber had to wipe her eyes again, and Seth reclaimed the mic.

"Everyone, raise your glass," he said, and picked up his. "To old friends. To new friends. To my beautiful wife. To the future." He caressed her stomach.

Kimber leaned into the mic. "To us, and to you." She lifted her glass of diet orange soda.


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47 – Are We There Yet?**

 _You are now entering the home stretch!_ Kimber, now in her thirty-sixth week of pregnancy, read on a brochure from a formula company as she pulled the mail from the PO box.

 _And thank goodness for that,_ she thought as she waddled across the parking lot to her car. It was a warm, sunny spring day in Davenport, but to Kimber, it felt like oppressive heat. Even though the temperature readout on her car said 63F, she was wearing a sundress and flip-flops and was still sweating. The energy rushes she'd had during her second trimester were non-present now; she'd had to drop a great number of moves from her fitness routine and often napped after a workout. She was now grateful for Brenda's impromptu visits, and Brenda did not disturb her while she slept, Kimber would awaken later, and find things had been moved and cleaned, and there was frequently a Tupperware container or few of food in the fridge.

She drove across the river into Moline and parked beside Marek's truck. She used her key to let herself into the school, and winced at the heat and humidity inside. "Shit, Marek, it's hotter than...a boot in here. Smells like it, too."

Marek laughed, and got up to cede the desk to her. "Nice to see you, too. Actually wasn't expecting you to come today, with you leaving for Columbus tomorrow."

"That's why I'm here. I had all the running around to do today. Dropped off Paulie at the dog spa, picked up the mail and found a couple bills so I decided to pay them right away." Kimber sat down and began doing just that.

Marek sat down on the edge of the desk. "I don't want to sound like a worried big brother, but I can't help it. I don't think you should drive so far alone this close to your due date."

"It's not even a day's worth of driving, I'll be fine," Kimber told him with a tired smile.

"It's like eight hours."

"I can do it," she insisted. "I wish my doctor would let me fly, though."

"Let me drive you. You've done a lot of work for the school since you've been on maternity leave, and it's made my life so much easier. Let me help you."

"But Seth and I need the car to drive to New York."

"You can drop me at the airport and I'll fly back. Please, Kimber, I'd feel a lot better about this if I was with you."

"You'll have to close the school."

"Because I'm accompanying my best friend's pregnant wife on a trip across a few states? I'm pretty sure everyone will understand. You're running out of excuses, Mrs. Rollins."

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Seth told me you were stubborn."

She nodded again. "He's right. I know it would give him a lot less worry if you were with me. I don't doubt my ability to drive eight hours safely, but a woman traveling alone is very vulnerable, even more so if she's pregnant. And I'm not just pregnant, I'm ready to pop. Marek, I accept your offer. Thank you."

Marek insisted on doing the driving, and Kimber didn't fight him on that. She made a comfy nest in the passenger seat with a couple of pillows and took on the role of copilot and music manager. She dozed off a few times. Marek stopped often, and insisted she get out, walk around, and stretch. She was grateful for that. Sitting in the car gave her a backache. The frequent stops stretched the journey into nearly ten hours, but Marek got himself to the airport in time for his flight back, and Kimber got herself to Seth's hotel room two hours before they had to leave for the arena, it was the last episode of _RAW_ before _WrestleMania._

He met her at a side entrance, rushing out to take her in his arms. Happy tears ran down Kimber's cheeks. She had last seen him nearly a month ago, and while she had finally grown used to the separations, the reunions always got her emotional. It was like falling in love all over again each time.

It was something she'd explained recently to Brynn over the phone. Brynn and Dolph's relationship had gotten pretty serious, to the point Brynn was looking into transferring to Florida, to be closer to him, because she missed him so much when they were apart. She'd been crying when she'd called big sister, asking her how she'd dealt with the absence of her husband. _You get used to it. And, when he comes back, it'll be rainbows and unicorns all over again._ She would see Brynn again soon. Dolph had invited her as his guest to _WrestleMania_ and all its festivities.

"Wow!" Seth exclaimed, as he patted her belly. "You're as big as a house!"

She laughed. "Yes, I know. I feel like that Violet kid from that Willy Wonka shit, only I've got a baby beating up my insides. I don't think it likes that I've had to slow down, it's telling me get up, mom! Lets do some thrusters and box jumps!"

Seth laughed, then sobered. "You _haven't_ been doing box jumps, have you?"

"Darling, look at me! I don't think I could step up on a box right now without help."

"Good point. You look exhausted."

"I am."

"Me too. Let's go take a nap."

The late stage of her pregnancy had changed the way they slept when they were together. Previously, she spooned her man, but with her belly in the way, it wasn't comfortable, and since he liked to keep his hands on her belly, he spooned her nowadays. So, they got naked and slipped under the covers. He kissed her bare shoulder. "The baby's very active."

"You don't have to tell me that," Kimber replied, and yawned. "It always is whenever I'm trying to sleep."

She didn't remember falling asleep, but Seth's phone woke her. Didn't wake him, so she reached over and picked it up. Dean. "Hello?" She mumbled.

"Hey Kimber, where's Seth?"

"Here, sleeping."

"Oh, fuck. You'd better get him up, it's almost four o'clock."

"Shit!" Kimber looked at the time on the phone, and began nudging her husband. "Seth! Wake up, you're late! Thanks, Deano."

"Oh, fuck me!" Seth jumped out of bed and began pulling on the most convenient clothes.

"No prob. See you at the show?"

Kimber had been planning on going, but she was still tired, and wouldn't be able to get ready in time to leave with Seth, and they only had one car. "I think I'm going to have to skip this one. I was asleep, too. But tell everyone I said hi, and that I'll see everyone in New York."

"Will do. See you in New York, Kimberoo."

"You're not coming to _RAW?_ " Seth asked, after she hung up.

She cradled a pillow and looked up at him lazily. "I'm miles away from being ready, and we've only got one car. And with all the appearances and tapings I have to do in New York, I want to lay around and be a bum while I still can."

"I'm relieved you've finally started to slow down." Seth picked up his bag and kissed his wife.

"I didn't really have a choice," she said, and chuckled.

"Sure you don't want to come?"

"No, you're already late enough as it is. If I change my mind, I'm sure someone can fetch me, or I'll call an Uber."

She didn't change her mind. She went back to sleep for a little while, then got up, dressed, and plodded down the hall in search of sustenance. She bought a pint of strawberry ice cream from the little store in the lobby and ate it while she watched _RAW_ on TV. Soon, she would be a part of it again. Her goal was to get medically cleared before _Money in the Bank,_ so she could be in the ladder match. She had told that to Stephanie, who'd warned her to be careful, but if anyone could get the baby weight and ring rust off that fast it would definitely be her.

Kimber learned she'd be returning with the Rollins last name, and her logo was now a KR inside of a heart, not crosshairs as her husband had imagined. It appeared on the merchandise and t-shirt designs she'd been sent, she would have two new shirts, both black. One was the same as one of Seth's recent shirts, Monday Night Rollins, only her logo was on it rather than his. The other was an updated version of her first WWE licensed shirt, her logo on the front, with _Back to reclaim_ printed on the back. She wondered if she would reclaim the briefcase she'd never cashed in. But, she had to admit that was lame booking. It would feel like a cheat to the audience, like the reset button had just been smashed. It would be stupid to book her return that way. To have her come close only to suffer the heartache of not winning the briefcase would make her even more sympathetic and appealing to the audience, not that she already wasn't. Even though it felt like forever since she'd been on _RAW,_ she was still the most-followed female superstar on all social media platforms, and the second part of the documentary had done even better on it's debut night than the first had. Move over Miz and Maryse, the new power couple had officially taken over.

The third part would start filming in New York, and she had to film for _Total Divas_ as well. She and Seth were also going to do a brief interview for about their favorite _WrestleMania_ moments. She would attend all the shows and awards ceremonies with her husband, there would be a lot of cameras and microphones in their faces. Her handler would be back, that uptight bitch from _SummerSlam._ And it was very likely she'd cross paths with Alexa.

The prospect worried her. She knew it was highly unlikely Alexa would physically hurt her when she was mere weeks away from giving birth, but she could still psychologically torment Kimber at a time when she would not fight back. Alexa could still ruin her. Kimber might be close to Stephanie, and Seth to Hunter, but Alexa's relationship with Vince, whatever it was, could trump all of that. She knew Vince didn't like her, though maybe the money had changed his mind.

Kimber was making more of it than she ever had. After talking it over with her husband, she had bought out Raven's share of the house in Arcata. She would need a place to stay when she came on business for the school, and they could use it as a vacation home, too. The deal had been done in February, when the _RAW_ roster had been conveniently in California, and Kimber had flown out to join them. After the show, she and her hubby went on to Arcata, met with her lawyer and Raven's (Raven appeared by phone), and signed the papers which Raven had already signed. After arriving at the house, Seth had stood on the porch and smiled up at the place and remarked that it was here that they'd first made love, and where their family had begun.

Her nap earlier was keeping her awake now. _RAW_ was almost over, but it would be awhile until Seth came back, since he was almost always in the post-show segments. She decided to go to the workout room and make use of the treadmill.

She had the place to herself; she usually did, and put in her earbuds and lost herself in her mix of workout music as she started off at a slow, plodding pace. Once the endorphin began to flow, it didn't feel like enough, so she tilted the incline up just a tad, and kicked up the speed to just below a slow jog. She began to sweat and feel good. But, she was very close to giving birth, so easy does it. She slid the bar over to the left, and slowed the treadmill gradually back to the slowest pace. There were some dumbbells on a rack, she could work her arms and shoulders, maybe even do some lunges. Either way, she had to quit with the treadmill and find a bathroom.

She turned the machine off, and stepped off the conveyor belt. Almost immediately, the baby started in on her bladder, and before she had time to react, she started peeing her pants. She crossed her legs tight and shoved a hand into her crotch. Even though there was no one around to see what was happening to her, she was blushing. She couldn't stop it, she had no idea where the bathroom was, and she looked around in a panic before squatting down and letting go, holding the rail of the treadmill for support and burying her face in her other hand. How freaking embarrassing. And on the one night she wore gray leggings, too. How the hell was she going to get back to the room without making an ass of herself? It was now nearing midnight, Seth could be on his way back. She decided to try calling him.

He answered. "Hey, babe!"

"Are we there yet?" Kimber asked with a tired sigh.

Seth laughed. "What?"

"Can we just go to the hospital right now and have this baby already?" Tears were coming now, and her voice was failing her, coming out in that tight, breathless hiss she hated.

"Do you think you're in labor?" He asked. "I'm walking into the hotel right now-"

"No...I'm not in labor. I just really, really wish I was. I'm so sick of being pregnant."

"I know these past few months have been trying for you, my love. But, we're almost there. In just a few more weeks, we'll finally have a baby. Hey, where are you?"

"Down in the workout room."

Seth chuckled. "Of course. Are you done?"

Kimber looked down at her pissed pants. "Oh yeah. In fact, I think I might be done working out entirely until I have this baby. Could you come down? And bring me some pants."


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48 – _A_ Total Divas _Reunion Fight and Other Things_**

The days leading up to _WrestleMania_ made the ones leading up to _SummerSlam_ feel like a vacation to Kimber, at least in her memory. She knew it couldn't have been so, but _SummerSlam_ felt like a million years ago. Almost right after she and Seth checked into their hotel room, conveniently across the street from the arena, Kimber's handler showed up to haul her off to reunite with the _Total Divas_ current and past casts. In the car, she'd scolded her for looking sloppy, and Kimber, who was already exhausted from hours in the car after having to get up at dawn, snapped right back at her.

"Shut the fuck up. I'm nine months pregnant, what the fuck am I supposed to look like, Miss Universe?" But she did open her makeup case and started touching up, and brushing her hair. "Find me a place to get coffee, will you?"

"No. I'm sure there will be coffee at the restaurant."

"No? What the fuck do you mean 'no'?" Kimber couldn't stop herself from being a bitch. It was just one more thing that made her eagerly anticipate the arrival of her baby, she hated being a bitch. "Fuck, Susan, have a little pity, I've been up since five!"

Susan was unmoved by her hatred. "That's life as a diva. If you didn't want to be involved in all of this, you should have stayed home."

That wasn't true. Yes, she was on maternity leave, but she was still under contract. "Oh, just shut up, Susan," she said. The fight had gone out of her, because she'd just had a shocking realization and gone from fighting tiger to cowering mouse. Because she hadn't ever watched _Total Divas,_ even the two shows she'd already appeared on, it had totally slipped her mind that Alexa was part of the main cast and would definitely be at this little reunion. Kimber knew that as strong a physical fighter she was, she was not good at psychological warfare, especially nowadays with her hormones ruling everything.

But, upon her arrival at the restaurant, there were so many people milling about, and she had so much to get on film that she was able to avoid Alexa entirely, and in a group photo, they were as far from each other as could be. However, when Kimber saw it, Alexa's eyes were icy daggers pointing to her smiling, expectant face. She sent the picture to Seth, along with _Look who's still hating._ He was quick to call, and Kimber stepped into the relative quiet of the ladies' room to take it, and sat down on a soft settee in a small alcove. She assured him she'd had no words with her enemy, told him she loved him, and let him get back visiting sick kids with Dean and Roman.

Just as she was about to get up off the settee and back to the show, the bathroom door opened, and in stepped Alexa. She gave Kimber a cold, hateful smile and snorted. "I heard what you said earlier, how you can't wait to make a return to the ring. Looking at your fat ass, I don't think that's going to happen, like _ever._ That's not just...pregnancy." She pointed at Kimber's stomach. "You're fucking fat and you're fucking gross; you're a fucking prize pig at some shitheel county fair! I'm surprised that bench is holding together with you beached on it like the whale you are. If you ever have a match in WWE again, I'll be even more surprised-"

Suddenly, Nikki Bella came from the toilet and sink area, and walked right up to Alexa. Her perfectly made up face was twisted in anger. Alexa's jaw dropped and she froze, just like a little girl caught in the act of sneaking a cookie. As John Cena's wife, and a mainstream name in her own regard, the amount of power Nikki wielded backstage was considerable.

"I'm surprised that you're such an awful person. Bodyshaming..." Nikki shook her brunette head in disgust. "How the hell can you bodyshame a pregnant woman? Pregnancy is beautiful. _Kimber_ is beautiful. Look at her! How can you call her a pig and a whale? She's the fittest pregnant woman I've ever seen, and you bodyshame her?"

Alexa stood her ground, even though Kimber could see there was a little fear there. "Listen, Nikki, you don't know this bitch, this skank. You've been gone awhile, you weren't around when she turned up at a show after only ten weeks in NXT and immediately hooked up with Rollins, that same night, I'm not kidding, she's a fucking slut. She earned her huge push on her back. They made this bitch here Miss Money in the Bank, and right after that, she gets pregnant on purpose in some pathetic attempt to trap Rollins, but apparently it worked-"

Kimber stood up. "None of that's true, except for the ten weeks in NXT, and you left out a huge part-"

Nikki gently guided her away. "Don't get involved. You don't need this right now."

"You shouldn't get involved with her, either, Nikki," Alexa spat. "She's no fucking good, in the ring or out of it, and she'll soon be gone for good, having babies in between flipping tires and skipping rope. There's no returning for you, Kimber. Not on a full time basis, anyway. Sure, you'll be called upon to play a part in the Rumble every year, and I'm sure the Rollinses will at some point have a match against you and your husband, Nikki, but honestly, Kimber, you're done."

"Bitch, I'm _never_ going to be 'done', and you'd better _pray_ to your god that you stay on _Smackdown_ and never end up working a match with me," Kimber got so close to Alexa that her belly almost touched her. She felt Nikki's hands on her shoulders. She did not shrug her off, but she would not allow herself to be led away, either. "Because if you do, your pathetic career..." She trailed off, realizing she was about to make a direct threat that could result in her own career ending. "I'll be back by the time _Money in the Bank_ comes around, full-time. If you're planning on being in that ladder match, get ready to work with the likes of something you never have before."

"We've worked a match together before. Did you really forget what I did to your wrist?" Alexa reached out, and Nikki threw herself between them.

"Don't fucking touch her!" Nikki snapped.

"What the fuck are you going to do, Nikki?" Alexa almost shouted, and Kimber heard the door open again, and people began filing in; other "divas", talent relations reps, restaurant staff, camera crew, security, and Kimber found herself being led out by Susan, who was scolding her.

"My purse is still in there," Kimber said, and turned back.

"I'll get it!" Susan barked. "You stay right here and try, try, _try_ not to cause any problems for once!"

"But, I didn't..." She trailed off. Her handler had already gone.

Even though she was exhausted by the day's activities, she could not turn down an invite from her only sister to a late dinner. Dolph was picking her up from the airport at seven twenty-five, and would be taking them out, so Seth was invited as well, a double date.

Seth ran out to get her an espresso, and when he returned, they got ready together before a double vanity, just as they had so many times before. In the mirror, Kimber smiled at her husband tenderly, remembering the early days of their bonding, before there was a baby and a documentary series. When she was desperate and embarrassed and trying hard to win him over to friendship. Even back to before she knew him, but wrote countless fetishy scenarios featuring him and one or all of his Shield brethren, often one-handed. She blushed and giggled a little. The baby responded to her laughter with a kick, as if to say "Damn it, I'm trying to sleep!" and she patted her tummy, but chuckled again.

"What's so funny?" Seth asked.

"Well, I was just standing here, enjoying our solitude away from the cameras, thinking about how much I love you when I started thinking about old times. I remembered when I used to jill off while writing fan fiction about you. That made me giggle, and the baby kicked me, like I'd woken it up or something."

"Or it was chastising you for your filthy mind."

"You love my filthy mind."

"I do. I love everything about you, from your dirty mind to your dirtiest gym shoes." He pulled her close and kissed her. "When you think of our baby, do you think of it as a boy or a girl?"

"A boy. I don't know if it's instinct, or just because I want a boy I can name after my dad."

"I think it's a boy, too. And, I hope he has your eyes."

"I hope he has your hair."

"And your smile."

"And my nose." She smiled to show him she was only teasing, and they embraced and giggled.

Once they stepped out to await Dolph and Brynn, who'd texted to let them know they were close, Kimber wasn't surprised by the fans waiting around, phones and autograph requests ready, but she was surprised by a reporter and camera man from TMZ.

"Kimber! Real quick, what's the _Total Divas_ drama? We heard there was a fight."

"There's going to be a fight," Seth grumbled, but only Kimber heard him, and laughed before turning towards the reporter.

"Well, to be honest, I really don't know. I heard a couple of the girls had, you know, words with each other, but I didn't hear it myself," she lied. "I think that's them," she told Seth, pointing to a car that had pulled over and flashed its lights. Brynn leaned out the window and waved.

The camera man and reporter followed them to the car. "Thank you, Kimber. Anything to say, Seth? No? You sure? Alright, have a good night. And Kimber, your shoe's untied."

"Let me," Seth said, and had her sit down in the car and knelt in the street to tie her sneaker laces. Lots of pictures were taken, but Kimber posted Brynn's, along with: _Love is.._ Her followers were quick to finish it in the comments.

Being with Dolph had brought about a huge change in Brynn. She smiled more, talked more, had changed her hair in color and style, and was dressed more fashionably than big sister had ever seen her. Gone was the bashful, geeky wallflower Kimber had known all her life. In her place was a stunning, confident, bubbly brunette dressed in fashionably destroyed skinny jeans and a very sharp leather jacket.

"I joined a gym," she told Kimber across the table, after Seth and Dolph had excused themselves.

"Finally," Kimber teased. "It definitely shows. How long have you been at it?"

"Six days a week since he invited me to come out here. I didn't want to be the only one looking like shit at the Hall of Fame ceremony. I can't wait to show you my dress! What are you wearing?"

"A black tent."

Brynn laughed. "I'm sure it's not a tent."

"Well, no it's not, it's actually stretchy, and I'm going to wear it with big black boots with black fur trim."

"Jewelry?"

"Just my charm bracelet." She extended her wrist. Seth had added many charms to it, some of them custom work, and very expensive.

Brynn smiled as she examined them. Like everyone else, she laughed at the pizza charm and asked about it. "Pizza?"

"Well, when Seth and I first met, I was...ah, struggling." She gave an involuntarily shudder. "Because of circumstances, he had to help me out, but he really didn't want to... I'll tell you the whole story someday, but it was over a pizza that we first began to bond."

Brynn looked puzzled. "What do you mean by 'struggling'?"

"That's part of the long story, baby sister. Oh, the guys are back." She began sliding out of the booth, to let Seth get in.

"Great, our turn!" Brynn jumped up and planted a kiss on Dolph. "Come on, Kimber!"

"Awww, you called me Kimber and we're not even on camera."

Brynn laced her arm through her sister's as they walked down to the ladies' room. "I've been watching your documentaries and videos and whatnot. Got me used to it."


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49 – A Child is Born**

Kimber awoke very early the Sunday before her due date. She was very cold and wet and shivery, and in her half-asleep state, thought she was merely sweaty. Then, a tight cramp seized her abdomen and woke her fully. She sat up and began shaking Seth, thank goodness he was home! Since returning from the South American tour, he hadn't worked any house shows, just _RAW._

"Mmmmph?" He asked, and rolled over, then sat up with a start. "Fuck, did I piss the bed? I'm sorry, my love-"

Kimber couldn't help but laugh. "No, darling, the baby's coming."

He kissed her, and rubbed her tummy. "Get ready to go, I'll tell your folks and make the calls."

Kimber went to rinse off. While standing under the spray, she got another contraction. It really wasn't so painful. She dried off and got dressed in a black sweatsuit. A third contraction came while she was doing her makeup, and she noted the time: 5:51. Just after it had passed, her parents and Brynn came in, still in their pajamas to hug her and wish her luck. Brynn braided her hair and promised to come up to the hospital as soon as she'd showered and had breakfast; she was so excited about becoming an aunt.

Then, the camera crew was there, and Kimber, from her vanity table, said: "Today's the big day! My water broke, and I've been having contractions...in fact, I'm having one now." She looked at her phone. 5:59. "I'm really happy it's a Sunday, and Seth is home. One of my biggest worries throughout my pregnancy was that Seth wouldn't be around when the time comes. But, the time is now, and my man is here, and we're heading to the hospital to have a baby."

Once she was settled in at the hospital, her labor confirmed, Seth put out the word to the world, and Kimber's phone immediately whistled. "Renee," she told Seth. "She says 'Don't be a hero, get an epidural'. I don't think I need one."

"Not yet, anyway," he teased.

"Hey, you're supposed to be my support person, supporting me in my decision to attempt a natural birth without drugs."

"Of course I support you," he said, and stroked one of her braids. "I know you're strong enough to do it. Just keep rising above, like you always do."

Kimber's labor progressed a lot faster than Renee's had, and by mid afternoon, she started feeling like she needed to push. She no longer thought of the pain as not so bad, it was bad, it was really, really bad, but she had not caved and asked for an epidural nor accepted the frequent offers of "something for the pain" from her nurse. She'd allowed the camera crew in from time to time, but for the past two hours, when the intensity of her contractions increased, she'd only wanted Seth there. She just wanted him to hold her, so he climbed into bed with her and rubbed her back and shoulders while she tried to focus on her breathing, and kept reminding herself that women had given birth since the dawn of mankind without pain relief. She reminded herself of all the bumps she'd taken in the ring over the years that were worse than this. She moaned, cursed, and cried when she needed to, and her husband was unwavering in his sweetness and support.

Dr. Sportiello came in to check her progress. Kimber, in the midst of a very strong contraction, could only bury her face in Seth's shoulder and sob. She was exhausted. She was very thirsty; after the intense pain had caused her to vomit, she'd been denied her ice chips. And she hadn't eaten since dinner last night. She felt like the only thing keeping her alive was her saline drip.

"Are you ready to have a baby?" The doctor asked, cheerfully.

The words seemed to renew her strength, and she sat up a little. "Yes. Can I start pushing?"

Seth seemed amazed at the calm determination that had come over his wife, who'd been more or less a mess for the last few hours. "I'll alert the guys, and everyone else." He picked up his phone.

Kimber had only agreed to allow the actual birth to be filmed because she and Seth wanted the raw footage for their memories. They set up while the doctors set up, and she drew more strength from seeing the medical staff stand ready, everything ready for the baby. It was so close. Her husband stood off to the less-crowded side of her bed, and wrapped his arms around her. She reached up, grabbed hold of his arms, and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you."

"When you get your next contraction, I want you to push, okay?" Dr. Sportiello told her.

Kimber nodded. "I'm ready. Here it comes..." She sucked in a sharp breath and bore down.

"Good, good, keep going... Good! Now relax and push again on the next one."

"Yes, Ma'am," she replied, and felt her belly tighten again. "Here we go again." She began pushing again, and again, but by the fifth push or so, a new source of sudden, almost unbearable pain forced her to scream and stop the push. It was what all the books and articles she'd read called "the ring of fire", and that's exactly what it felt like.

"You're almost there, Kimber!" Dr. Sportiello cheered her on.

"I'm so proud of you, my love... So, so proud. You're...you're getting through this like a champ." That was Seth, in between pauses and sniffles.

"Don't cry... you're going to make... me cry, and... I'm supposed to be... pushing," Kimber panted out, and bore down again, forcing herself to stick with it, and she was rewarded for the effort. She felt a strange release.

"Head's out," Dr. Sportiello announced. "Hold off on pushing for just a second while I clear out the baby's nose... Okay, one more big push, Kimber."

She closed her eyes, squeezed Seth's forearms, and gave it all she had. She felt movement, then emptiness and right afterwards, her baby's first cries. "It's a boy!" Dr. Sportiello announced, before laying him on Kimber's chest. "Come cut the cord, dad."

"He's so beautiful," Kimber whispered. "Happy birthday, Johnny." She held him close and kissed his little face while Seth cut the cord. He calmed down, likely soothed by the rhythm of her heartbeat, which he'd been listening to for months. His eyes were open, but no telling whose he'd gotten yet. "He does have your hair," she told Seth when he returned to her side to really see his newborn son, but he was crying so much she didn't know how much he could see.

Now she could cry, and did, but had to stop, for Seth had handed off his phone to a nurse, who took a picture of the family before the new addition was taken away to be cleaned up, weighed, measured, and all, and he cried anew.

Kimber needed to deliver the placenta and get cleaned up, too, so the camera crew followed Seth and baby Johnny to the nursery. She was exhausted, but while she was being tended to, she called Renee, not even bothering to look at the messages and missed calls that had stockpiled. "I'm sure Seth has already posted a picture of Johnny's debut, but I just wanted to let you know I did it all natural."

"And you're still alive?" Renee asked, and laughed. "Wow... Lady Madonna. How are you feeling?"

"Tired and hungry, and like I've got a diaper on. Honestly, I'm not even sure this is a pad." Kimber shifted in her bed, uncomfortable in the padding. "Otherwise, I'm actually feeling really good, and I'm just waiting to be taken to my recovery room. If all keeps going well, we'll be going home tomorrow."

"Seth's post said you were ready to flip tires or something like that. And, you looked great in the pic. If you weren't holding Johnny, never would have guessed you'd just given birth."

"Really?"

Renee chuckled. "No. But you did look really good. I looked like the creature from the black lagoon in my first picture with Justin."

"You also had a much longer labor than I did, and you were stressed out because you thought Dean wouldn't make it. My doctor said I had a perfect labor and delivery."

"Lucky."

"Very." She heard a knock, and looked over at the doorway to see an orderly with a wheelchair. "Renee, I gotta go, they're moving me now, and I want to see if they'll take me by the nursery to see Johnny."

"Okay. Congratulations, and I'll talk to you soon."

While Kimber sat in the wheelchair, waiting again, she looked for Seth's post. He had posted another picture of himself holding Johnny in the nursery, but she wanted the one before it. No, she did not look too bad in the picture, but his words were what she really wanted.

 _Our son Johnny was just born at 4:17! 7lbs, 8oz, 21 inches long. Healthy and beautiful. I am truly blessed. The perfect words don't come to mind to describe how special this feels, and how much I love my family. Kimber crushed labor and birth like she does the most brutal WODs and is ready to start flipping tires. She is so strong, the most amazing woman in the world, and I'm so proud, and so lucky I get to call her my wife, and the mother of my son._

Once in her recovery room, Kimber fell asleep and didn't awaken until almost midnight. She was awoken by a pretty brunette nurse who'd stepped in to check on her. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

Kimber slowly pulled herself into a sitting position, and saw her husband sleeping on the couch, and all kinds of gifts and flowers all over the place. She was very sore. "It's okay," she whispered. "I've been sleeping for hours."

The nurse smiled. "Sleep while you still can. I'm Tori, your night nurse. Did you need anything?"

"Food, please. I haven't eaten since dinner last night and I'm starving. I could use some ibuprofen, too."

"Are you going to be nursing?" Tori asked.

"No. I have to get back to work as soon as possible," Kimber explained.

"Then I'll help you wrap your breasts, too. Did you need the bathroom at all? I need to check your pad."

"You mean my diaper?" Kimber joked. "Yeah, I guess I could go."

Tori laughed. "Everyone says it feels like a diaper, but if you're not bleeding much, you can start using regular pads and your own undies. Do you want help up?"

"Nah, I got this," Kimber replied, even though the mere act of getting out of bed made her already-sore body ache even more. She felt more weak and drained than she ever had after any match, any WOD, and accepted the nurse's support on the way to her bathroom.

When she emerged, Seth had woken up, too, and was on the phone. "Thank you," he said and ended the call. "I just ordered a pizza," he told Kimber, and took over for Tori as he helped her back to bed. "I'm starving."

"Me too. I know I'll feel a lot stronger once I get some food in me. How long did they say?"

"About half an hour. An eternity. I'm going to hit the vending machines. Did you want anything?"

"Yes, literally anything. I can't take ibuprofen on an empty stomach, and I'm not going to lie, I need it."

Her husband left and her nurse returned with a huge elastic bandage and the pills. Kimber untied the top of her hospital gown and unsnapped the left side, where her IV line was. As Tori wound the elastic around her chest, she chatted with her patient. "Did you have a boy or a girl?"

Kimber smiled. "A boy. We named him Johnny, after my dad. I want to go see him. Can I see him this late?"

"Yes, you can see your baby any time you want. There we go. Is that too tight?"

"No, it's fine."

"Now you'll want to keep wrapping your breasts until they return to normal. It'll help alleviate some of the discomfort."

Kimber nodded, and let Tori fix her gown. Seth came back, pushing a hospital bassinet, and Tori looked inside. "Oh, he's so sweet."

Seth nodded proudly. "That's my boy." He wheeled the bassinet to Kimber's beside and the nurse left.

"How did you know I wanted to see Johnny?" Kimber asked, as she picked her son up. He was awake, but he wasn't crying. "Hi, Johnny sweetie."

"You told me. After everyone left, I came in here to check on you. You were kind of talking in your sleep and you asked me to bring Johnny in. A nurse told me you really needed to rest, and that I should, too, and gave me a pillow and a blanket. But, now that we've both had some rest, I decided to go get him."

"Thank you."

"They literally just fed him in the nursery before I showed up, so he'll probably be asleep again soon."

"That's okay," Kimber said, more to her son than to her husband as she stroked his tiny fingers.

"I brought some snacks, too." He opened the drawer on the bassinet and pulled out Andy Capp Hot Fries, Diet Dew, orange juice, and two Snickers bars.

"A bona fide feast," she declared. "I want to dig in, but I don't want to let go of Johnny."

Seth nodded in agreement. "I know the feeling. I could hold him for hours. Hard to let him go so our folks could hold him. I've got pictures."

"Who all came up here?"

"Your folks, my folks, Brynn, and Marek. And of course the crew was there, too."

Kimber looked down at her son. "He's going to look just like you," she told her husband, fondly.

"He already does. Looks just like I did in my baby pictures."

Kimber smiled, because she could literally see Seth's posture straighten with pride. "I think he's asleep. "Could you lay him back in the bassinet?"


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50 – Sisters**

For the first time ever, Kimber and Seth watched _RAW_ together at home. So did their parents, Brynn, and of course, Johnny, who slept in various arms through most of it. The lack of Seth on the show and the birth of Johnny was announced during the opening promo, by Dean and Roman, and Kimber was touched by the crowd's reaction to the news, and the picture that was put up on the big screen. It wasn't the one Seth had sent out immediately after the birth, but one taken by Brynn earlier that day, while they were waiting to leave the hospital. Kimber in a chair holding Johnny, and Seth perched on the arm of the chair, his arm around her.

The new parents had worried about how their dog would react to the new addition, but Paulie was a good dog about it, and always wanted to be wherever the baby was, to watch and protect him.

Seth and her parents left the following Monday, Seth very early in the morning, and her parents in the afternoon, but Brynn stayed. Brenda also visited every day to spoil her grandson, and with all the help, Kimber was able to begin lifting light weights in her gym at home three days after giving birth, her breasts still wrapped in that huge elastic bandage. She knew she had to rehab her entire body. Pregnancy had stretched her out, not just her stomach, but her ligaments, tendons, joints, and muscles. Her favorite exercise was taking the baby out in the stroller, because she was doing something good for both of them. Often, Brynn would come along, and Kimber would end up walking Paulie while her sister, the doting aunt, pushed the stroller.

One afternoon, as the sisters walked down the road with dog and stroller, Brynn suddenly said: "I think I want to have a baby."

"I'm sure you will at some point," Kimber replied.

"Dolph told me he wants kids."

"With you?"

"Well, not exactly, we were just talking and it came up."

"You've only known him for four months, Brynnie."

"Um, excuse me, but how long did you know Seth before you got pregnant?"

"Almost four months, but that's different." Kimber blushed, knowing she sounded stupid, but it really was different. "We were together day and night for those four months. We got close very fast, I think because we already had so much in common. Before I signed with WWE, some people in the industry compared me to him, but at the time, I thought it was just because of talent, or because they'd heard about me and Raven cosplaying as him and Roman in the Shield."

Brynn laughed. "I remember that. You hated it."

"That I did. That cosplay phase she dragged me through was cheesy as fuck. I always felt like such an ass playing someone else's damn character, because my own character was freaking awesome."

"I think about it sometimes, getting into the wrestling industry."

Kimber stopped and looked at her sister, surprised. Paulie, grateful for a break, sat down at her feet. She didn't know what to say. She never wanted her baby sister to have to go through what she had during her early days on the main roster. And, some of the promoters and bookers in the indies were very shady, even predatory, and she didn't know if Brynn had the street smarts to handle those kinds of villains.

"You don't think I can do it." Brynn had stopped walking, too, and looked at her big sister, hurt.

"That's not what I said. I've known you all your life, Brynn, and I know that you can do whatever it is you set out to do." Kimber began walking again, because tears were coming. She knew that Brynn's appearances in the documentary series, and on the red carpet at the Hall of Fame ceremony had snagged WWE's interest, especially now that she was looking almost like a fitness model. "But it's _hard_ , the things... The things I've gone through...fuck." She swiped at her eyes.

"Long story time?" Brynn asked, and stopped her sister with a hug.

She nodded and sniffled. "Yeah, I think so. I don't know what role you want to play in wrestling, but whatever it is, I assume you'd want to do it for the same company I do, and this is something you need to hear. It's not going to be any easier for you to hear than it will be for me to talk about it, but I need to get it out there."

Brynn nodded encouragingly, and they started walking again.

"I met Seth the first night I worked on the main roster. If he hadn't come along, it would have likely been my last night with WWE. I was expecting I'd be, you know, hazed to some degree, but I had no idea the level of resentment and hatred the other women had for me before they'd even met me. They jumped me in the locker room right after I got to the arena. They beat me and ripped off my clothes before whipping me with a wet towel and locking me out with nothing but the towel. Alexa Bliss was the ringleader in all of it, and during a match that night, she stomped on my wrist." Kimber touched it, remembering the pain even though it had long healed. "And it gets worse. You can't tell anyone about this, not even Dolph."

"Brit... Oops, I mean, Kimber, I would never do that."

"This really is hard to talk about," Kimber said, as they reached the turn around point in their walk. "After the match, they held me down and forced me to...lick them clean. Front and back. I felt so nasty...used... I..."

Brynn stopped her with a hug again, and Kimber felt her sister's shaking shoulders. "There's more," she continued.

"Just like any sexual assault victim, my knee-jerk reaction was to get in the shower. I did it with all my ring gear on, even my boots. I stayed in there forever, and when I came out, I found they'd stolen my purse and my passport. I had no money, no credit cards, no identification, no phone. I didn't even have my stupid glasses."

"Oh my god..."

"We should keep walking, or Johnny will wake up." Kimber peered in the stroller at her peacefully sleeping son. "I had no idea what to do but find someone to ask for help, but it was late, and I couldn't find anyone, and was afraid of getting lost, so I went to the door I'd come in that afternoon, thinking someone else would either come in or leave through that door, and whoever it was, I was going to beg them to help me."

"And it was Seth?"

"Mhmm. This is the story of how we met, and why I have a pizza charm. Even the worst night of your life can still become the best." Kimber smiled a little, and shook her wrist to view the charm.

"That's my eternally optimistic big sis." Brynn smiled, too. "Always finding a silver lining."

"He was all pissed off before I even opened my mouth, but I still told him I needed help, and that my purse and passport had been stolen. He snapped on me to quit crying, and made a phone call to Alexa, I assume, to try to get her to give my purse back, but she apparently refused and hung up on him, so he had no choice but to either abandon me at the arena, or take me with him."

"And he took you with him."

"Yes, even though he made it very clear he didn't want to, and even said he was only conveying me to the next town because nobody else would. He was really a jerk to me the first couple hours we were on the road, gave me the silent treatment until we stopped at a little Italian place. I was starving, but I didn't have any money, and I started crying. He pretty much told me to shut up, and that I could pay him back. It wasn't until he asked me what I wanted, and you, my dear sister, know what it was, that he finally softened a little."

"Pepperoni pizza," Brynn said.

"Yes. Pepperoni pizza. Turns out it's his favorite comfort food, too. Once we had that common ground, he softened considerably, and we got to talking. By the time the pizza was gone, it was as though we'd known each other for years. So there's the silver lining to this gross story I'm not through with yet.

"The next morning, Raven sent Seth a MoneyGram to cover my expenses, but I didn't get my purse back right away. Alexa told me that if I was a good little...puppyslut I could earn it back piece by piece... The locker room was my private hell. Whenever I was in there, I had to be naked, and down on all fours, leashed, collared. They harassed me constantly about how much I was fucking Seth, which I wasn't at that time, and Alexa even went so far to jab her finger in me so roughly that she made me bleed, just to see how much riding that big famous cock had worn me out."

"Oh my god..." Brynn swiped furiously at her eyes.

"I'm okay now," Kimber continued, and stopped to lock her hazel eyes with her sister's. "I did eventually tell Stephanie, you met her after the show, remember?"

"Mhmm," Brynn nodded and sniffled. "She's so sweet. I thought she was just teasing me about trying out, but she's been emailing me, and invited me down to the performance center the next time I go visit Dolph. After what you just told me, I don't know if I want to."

"It's a different experience for everyone, Brynn. The other women had a lot of resentment and jealousy towards me because I only spent ten weeks in NXT before moving on to the main roster, when most of them had spent years of their careers so far there. Their feelings led them to dig up every bit of dirt on me that they could find, and because I was careless, they didn't have to dig very deep. If you do decide to go to the performance center, and they take you on, you shouldn't have to deal with anything the likes of what I did. And, I will always have your back. I may have not been respected when I started, but I'm very respected now, and it's not where you start, it's where you end."

"I think I'm going to go for it. It's an opportunity few people get, and I'm going to take it."

"Then come on, let's go home. I'll take you over to the school. I can't do much right now, but I can at least show you a few things to give you a head start."

Later that night, after laying Johnny down to sleep, Kimber found Brynn in the house gym, sitting on a bench, bent over a binder that Seth referred to as his CrossFit bible. It was open to some printouts of barbell techniques.

"Taking up my religion?" Kimber teased, and pulled up a box.

"Well, you and Seth are really ripped. I'm going to need more muscles if I'm going to be picking up people and throwing them around." She chuckled, but her face was dead serious.

"You did okay throwing Marek around earlier."

"He helped a lot, though."

"That's what he's supposed to do, remember what I told you? Many things can't be done cleanly, or safely, without the help of your fellow wrestler, or wrestlers."

"Yes. I still think he had to help more than what he should have had to," Brynn sighed, and studied the pages.

"Brynnie, don't be so hard on yourself. Marek's a guy, you won't be working with guys. You'll be working with girls who weigh like one-fifty, tops, and most of them weigh less than that."

"Good point, but I need to be able to manhandle, or womanhandle, a girl who weighs more than I do right now, and the only thing I'm up to one-fifty on is dead lift; I'm at one-sixty-five, actually."

"Holy shit, baby sis." Kimber put her arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "I don't think I could do that right now." Pre-pregnancy, her one rep max on a dead lift was two-forty-five, but it was literally a one rep max.

"I want to try this," Brynn said, and pointed to a picture in the binder. "Thrusters?"

"That's what they are." Kimber got up and began removing the weights from the bar.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Technique before weight, young padawon. Go ahead, take the empty bar and get into position... Good... Open your grip just a little more... Perfect. Now squat, and push up from your heels and drive that bar above your head... Nice, Brynn, bring it down and do it again. Damn near perfect. A lot of people struggle with thrusters, and you got 'em right out of the gate. You've got great form."

"Thanks. Dolph helped me out when he came to visit last month. He said there was so much I was doing wrong it was a miracle I hadn't injured myself yet. I'm surprised nobody else at the gym ever mentioned it to me, but maybe they don't know any better, either." Brynn set the bar in place. "Should I add more weight?"

"Yeah, but go up slow. If it was really easy, put on the ten pounders. If it wasn't, use the fives, or even the two-point-fives. Do another three reps and see how it feels. Add weight and repeat."

"Got it." Brynn picked up a ten pound plate and slid it over the bar. Kimber got up to do the same on the other side, and as she was affixing the clip, she met her sister's eyes, and wasn't surprised by what she said next.

"I need to tell you something, and you can't tell Mom or Dad. I'll tell them soon enough, because I have to." Brynn took a deep breath. "The reason I've been able to be here for almost three weeks now is because I quit my job. I put in my notice right after I got back from New York."

Kimber immediately opened her mouth. "Brynn-"

"Don't say anything about betting all my money on that tryout, or about being a fool following my heart. I've been needing to make a change for some time now. I was so unhappy in Albuquerque I'm actually dreading going back, but I have to go back soon and move my things, because I just got an offer on my condo, and I'm going to take it. I'm moving to Florida. If I don't get in with WWE, I'll find another job, easily."

"You'll have to find another job anyway. You don't get paid to train."

"I have money. I made good investments, and the top offer on my condo was even more than I was asking. All I have left on the mortgage is thirty-thousand, and the offer is for two-fifteen, so there's another good chunk of money coming my way."

"Shit, who's your financial guy?" Kimber asked, wondering why she'd not yet invested more of her now-considerable fortune. "I need to start investing more, especially now that I've got a family."

"You haven't yet?" Brynn asked, her eyes wide. "Fuck, sis, you could be a multi-millionaire by now."

"Well, I'm married to one," Kimber replied, even though she realized she was already likely one, though it wasn't many multiples of a million, certainly not nearly as many as her husband had, she didn't want her sister to feel jealous, and they laughed together.

"Anyway, don't tell Mom and Dad yet. And my financial guru is Belle, you remember, I met her freshman year. I'll give you her number."

"I think our folks will take it just fine, Brynn. They might even be excited about it, like when I introduced them to Seth via video call, and announced we were having a baby. I was scared to make that call, and I know you're scared. But you should call them...tonight. They're two or three hours behind us, so it's not too late."


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51 – Back to Reclaim**

She had done it. Two and a half months after giving birth, Kimber was in the best shape of her life. She left Johnny with Brenda and Joe and flew down to Florida to get medically cleared to return to action. She celebrated with her sister, who had moved in with Dolph. She hadn't yet visited the performance center, even though she'd continued to train with Marek and Kimber when she'd stayed in Davenport, and they agreed that Brynn did have a good grasp on the craft, and with further training, she had the potential to be a decent wrestler. So, Kimber decided to surprise her and got in touch with a small wrestling school, to see if she might borrow their ring for a half an hour or so. David, the owner, agreed to let Kimber stage a match there with her sister, so long as his students could watch and whatnot. So, after a trip to the gym, Kimber told her sister to stay in her workout clothes, and without telling Brynn where they were going, followed Google maps to House of Pain, which was in an industrial park.

"Where are we?" Brynn finally asked, as she looked at the sign above the door. "House of Pain? Is it a gym? Box? That is what you call it in CrossFit, right? A box?"

"It's neither gym nor box, but I'm willing to bet there's at least a bench in there," Kimber said. "Come on."

Brynn followed her sister to the door, and Kimber knocked. A tall, muscular older man came to answer it. "Good afternoon, ladies," he said with a big, bright smile.

"Good afternoon, David." Kimber returned his big smile, and shook his hand. "I'm Kimber, and this is my sister, Brynn." She nudged her sister, who'd realized she was in a wrestling school, and unlike when she'd worked with Marek and Kimber, there were other people there. But she recovered her composure quickly, beaming a smile at David.

"Brynn, charmed." She looked at Kimber, her entire face a question mark.

David laughed. "Of course I recognize you, Kimber. It's great to meet both of you. So, are we just going to get right into this?"

"Yes, and afterwards we'll hang out for a bit. I want this to go from the beginning, like any other match, I'll have an entrance, she'll have an entrance-"

"A match?" Brynn asked, in a mixture of disbelief, delight, and stage fright.

"Yes!" Kimber finally revealed the full surprise. "You and me, one on one. You need to get the feel of it, and I need a refresher before I return to _RAW_ on Monday. Don't worry about anything besides your entrance, I'll call everything, and we'll both look good."

"Oh my god, this is so...sudden. Do you really think I'm ready?"

Kimber laughed. "Brynn, this isn't the main event at _WrestleMania._ This isn't even a veterans' post or high school gym in a small town. And, I'm going to take care of you."

"But, what if I hurt you?"

"You won't. Remember, I've been doing this for almost ten years. I teach people how to do this."

"Okay..." Brynn said, still a little scared, but big sis could see the excitement in her eyes. She really did want to wrestle.

Kimber had to stay with simple moves for her novice sis (she'd be bringing the big guns out on _RAW)_ , but when she watched the match later, she was proud of herself for having made Brynn look good in the ring, though it couldn't be denied that she was very green. But, she was proud of the match just the same, and hoped it wouldn't be the last time she wrestled her baby sister.

The night of her return was in DesMoines, part of what was now her home state, and when she walked out during acting general manager Baron Corbin's opening promo regarding the night's main event, a gauntlet-style match to determine the final _RAW_ entrant into the women's _Money In the Bank_ match, she received what had to be one of the biggest audience pops of the year so far. She debuted her _"Reclaim"_ t-shirt, even though, like Seth's _"Redesign, rebuild, reclaim"_ t-shirt, it was not a prediction of near-future storylines. Also, her entrance display was changed to read _"Kimber Rollins"_ and include her new symbol, but the theme was the same. She walked with a purpose to the ring in her street clothes and new t-shirt, hair dyed back to black, mic in hand, jumped on to the apron with no running start, and smiled, nodded, and posed a little for the crowd while she waited for the cheers and chants to die down. She lifted the mic to her lips on the briefest lull, which made them shut up. Yes, they thought the world of her.

"Thank you for such a warm welcome back. And, it's great to be back, here in DesMoines, on Monday night _RAW!"_ She beamed out at the crowd, and it was not an act. She truly meant what her script said. She turned to Baron. "Acting general manager Corbin, I've already taken enough of your time by coming out here, so I'm just going to get to the point. The final competitor for the women's _Money in the Bank_ ladder match this Sunday is here. One year ago, I was in that second-ever women's _Money in the Bank_ ladder match, and I climbed that ladder, grabbed that briefcase, and never got my championship opportunity."

"No, no you didn't. You got pregnant, which is wonderful, but, that doesn't mean you can come down here, interrupt my time, and make demands for what you haven't earned. You've been gone for almost a year while every other superstar here has been on the road, away from their families, working hard every day and every night giving it their all."

Kimber nodded in agreement. "You're right, acting general manager Corbin. I have been gone for about a year. But, I never took a day off... Well, I did take one, April 28th, the day my son was born, but I was back working out on April 29th." Here she had to pause for the crowd's chants of _You look awesome!_ "I _am_ the woman who's going to bring that briefcase back to _RAW."_

"There's a whole locker room that doesn't agree with you, Kimber, and I don't agree with you, either. You just had a baby, what, like two months ago?"

"Almost three months ago. I'm cleared for action and ready to go, so put me in the _Money in the Bank_ women's ladder match."

"I don't think so." Baron shook his bald head. "I don't think you can do it, Kimber, but I'm going to give you a chance, tonight. You're in the main event gauntlet match, and you're starting it. If you want to go to _Money in the Bank,_ you will have to defeat four other superstars trying for that spot. Tamina Snuka. Dana Brooke. And, two members of the Riott Squad, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan."

"I got this. Thank you, Mr. acting general manager." She stuck out her hand for a shake, and smiled at Baron. "I'm going to _Money in the Bank."_ This was spoken off-mic.

Wearing his best amused and confused look, he gave her a weak handshake, and Kimber went backstage, accompanied by her music, and the cheers from the fans as the show went into commercial mode. Backstage, Stephanie and Hunter hugged her. "You look absolutely stunning!" Stephanie exclaimed. "Welcome back, you've clearly been very missed."

"Very," Hunter agreed. "Really happy to have you back. Excuse me." He adjusted the mic on his headset, and took off, talking into it.

 _"I_ missed you," Stephanie said. "I was worried you would be a little rusty, almost everyone is after such a long time away, but you were great with your lines."

"Thank you. I missed you, too. I really missed being here."

She went back to the locker room to get ready for the main event. She got new ring gear, finally giving up the cargo pants and wifebeaters forever, at least on WWE TV. All three sets she'd ordered were leggings and halter-style bra tops, with coordinating shin guards that disguised that she hadn't ditched the sneakers. The outfit she was wearing tonight was black, had her logo in silver on one thigh, and was purposely made to look like sexy gym clothes, to call attention to the fact she apparently lived in a gym, and had abs that rivaled Finn's. She had also evolved her wrestling style, less charismatic enigma, more athletic goddess and even added several power moves. She would save the most extreme stuff for pay per views and big matches. She had a big spot planned tonight, in her fourth and last match, which would be against Sarah Logan. She had worked with Sarah and the rest of the Riott Squad a few times during her brief stay in NXT, and was looking forward to working with her again. Liv, whom she had to work with in her second match, not so much. Even if it was a squash.

"Fuck, girl, you are fucking hot!" Ruby Riott greeted as she walked into the locker room. "How the hell did you have a baby like ten weeks ago?"

Kimber smiled, and gave her a big hug.

"Holy fuck, your back, you're totally ripped!" Ruby gushed on. "It's great to see you again."

"Great to see you on the main roster finally," Kimber said, and gave her a playful ass slap. She wanted to say _you and Sarah,_ but Ruby would notice she'd omitted Liv. But, she couldn't say she was happy to see Liv Morgan on the main roster at all, let alone the same roster as herself. Liv's character was just another version of Alexa's, and the looks were nearly the same. It made her uncomfortable. She didn't trust Liv as a worker, either, she'd already been injured several times, and was just generally untalented, if she were in RCCW, Kimber would have cast her as a manager or valet.

 _Introducing first, residing in Davenport, Iowa, last year's Money in the Bank winner, Kimber Rollins!_ Hearing her new introduction made her smile, as did the crowd reaction. She very easily put away both Tamina and Liv, but after her match with Liv, Ruby and Sarah jumped her, leaving her selling countless injuries and exhaustion while lying prone in the ring as her third opponent, Dana Brooke, entered it and immediately took advantage of the situation. As a result, her match with Dana went much longer, she sold more, worked harder, and after turning the tide for the last time by raising her knees before Dana landed belly-first on her, she got on her feet, turned on her intense attitude, and used her husband's curb stomp to put her away. Michael Cole probably said _Shades of the hubby_ or something else lame when she did that, but the crowd loved it, and began chanting _Burn it down!_

But, she had to admit that after nearly a year away, twenty-five minutes in the ring was a damn long time. She no longer had to sell her exhaustion; she was pretty fucking spent. But, she could do one more match, the biggest match of the night. She was the star of the main event.

During the last commercial break, she made a big show of getting back on her feet, so she could slump, panting against the ring ropes while Sarah made her entrance with Ruby, Liv not present, still selling injuries from her match with Kimber. Women's champion Bayley emerged from the crowd, the first hint she would soon be part of the Shield, an equalizer, and such a good friend she would help get Kimber into the ladder match, even if it meant she might have to face her later on.

Kimber genuinely enjoyed working with Sarah. Both of them already established as being tough, skilled opponents, they exchanged a barrage of moves in quick succession, leaving both of them panting on the mat, apparently near death. Kimber dragged herself over to throw an arm over her supine opponent, and the moment the ref hit the canvas, Sarah shot up and locked her in an arm bar, forcing her to crawl, screaming, for the ropes, which Ruby tried to pull away before Bayley channeled Roman, and came running to spear the tattooed woman to the mat. Kimber reached the ropes, and the ref forced Sarah to break the hold. Almost before he could step away, she kicked her opponent in the stomach while still lying on the canvas, and in a show of athleticism, kipped up. Thank goodness she stuck her landing. She pushed off the ropes, and speared Sarah to the canvas before climbing to the top rope. She did not turn around, and instead looked over at the spot from where she watched the show, and saw her husband standing there, still in his Shield gear. He smiled, raised his fist, and his lips moved, and she knew he was saying _Get it, girl!_

She tributed Lita and performed a perfect moonsault. "Thank you," she whispered to Sarah, as she laid on top of her to pin her.

"Always, girl," Sarah whispered back.

One, two, three, and it was over. Exhausted, happy Kimber rolled off of her opponent and got somewhat on her feet and upright so the ref could raise her hand. _Your winner, the last_ RAW _qualifier for the women's_ Money in the Bank _ladder match, Kimber Rollins!_

Cue Kimber's music, and she closed out the show with Bayley, both of them celebrating her win with victory poses and smiles, though Kimber still sold her fake wounds, and her real exhaustion. After the show went off air, Seth joined them in the ring, followed by Dean and Roman, and all five of them fist-bumped, giving even more foreshadowing to the live audience.

Once the workday was over, it was time to party. Kimber did not want to admit she wasn't really up for a late night after her re-entry by fire into the sports entertainment world. She, after all, was the treasured guest of honor, so to speak. So, she took a quick shower with Bayley and got dressed in her classy dress and heels ensemble. She called Brenda to check on Johnny, who was of course, down for the night. She also mentioned the fact that Seth had already called six times. Kimber laughed, and apologized and told her that she didn't get to talk much to her husband while they were working. Of course, that would change when she and Bayley became members of the Shield.

Almost the entire roster packed into a small bar and set about celebrating the end of a work week, and the return of a locker room leader. Kimber felt so good she didn't need to drink, but so many people wanted to do shots with her she gave in, and she ended up drinking to her limit, becoming sillier and dizzier until the next thing she knew, she was throwing up in the parking lot while Bayley pissed between cars.

"Fuck, Kimber..."

Kimber hacked a couple of times, and spat into the puke. "I should know better than to mix my drinks." She stumbled while digging through her purse for gum, and nearly stepped in the puke, catching herself by leaning on a stranger's car. Luckily, it didn't have an alarm on it.

"Hey, you got some Kleenex or something?" Bayley asked.

Kimber laughed. "Shake that ass, girl. Shake it off...shake it off... Yeah, yeah, yeah!" She let herself go into full-shout, not caring it was an ungodly hour, and the bar was in a residential area. The last song she'd heard in the bar was Taylor Swift's _Shake it Off,_ and it was in her head, and too good of an opportunity to pass up.

"Shhh!" Bayley hissed, and pulled up her pants as she stood. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

 _"My ex-man brought his new girl-friend! She's like OH MY GOD! I'm just gonna SHAKE IT!"_

"Shhhhh..." Bayley insisted. "Walk, quietly, this way." She guided her down the sidewalk.

Kimber just laughed helplessly, and allowed her drunken friend to lead her down the street. "Fuck, I'm fuckin' _thirsty!"_

Bayley laughed, but tried to shush her just the same. "Really, doll, I think you've had enough."

"No, I need some fuckin' water, just water."

"I think I've got a bottle in my car. Come on."

The women turned back towards the bar, somehow got tangled up, and toppled over on to some stranger's lawn, Bayley on top. Both of them laughed, then suddenly stopped and locked eyes, as if each had realized how beautiful the other looked in the moonlight. Even in her deplorable state Kimber realized she was about to have a fantasy fulfilled. Bayley wanted to kiss her, and she allowed her lips to soften into an enigmatic, expectant smile.

Bayley leaned down, using one slender hand to push her long, dark hair away, and kissed her, tentative at first, but when Kimber pulled her close and returned the kiss, it became one hot make out session until Bayley sat up, and looked embarrassed.

"I'm sorry if that was too much," she said, quickly. "I mean, I don't know how you feel, and when Seth and I were waiting for the bathroom, I told him I had the hots for you, and-"

Now it was Kimber's turn to shush her friend, and she did so by giving her another kiss. "No, it wasn't too much. I've been wanting to you to kiss me, and Seth said it was okay a long time ago. You know we have an open marriage. But does Elias know?"

Bayley smiled. "He knows I'm bi, and said he would never deny my desires for hot lesbian action, or something poetic like that. He doesn't mind that I fool around with women, because it's something I need that he can't provide, being that he's not a woman. I don't know how he'd feel about me with other guys, but it's really a non-issue, as he's the only guy I seem to care about. We should get back to the bar."

"Mhmm...I'm sure we're being missed."

" _I_ missed you. You...you just have a way of making an impact on people. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is, but you're something special. Not just to me, but to this whole industry."

Kimber stopped, so touched her chest ached to cry. Bayley was wiping her eyes. Kimber put her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Hey, stop... There's no crying in _sports entertainment."_

"It's true, Kimber. You're one of the few things in WWE that isn't shit right now."

Kimber wanted to laugh, but it was true. She did follow several entertaining and reputable wrestling reporters, so she was well-aware of how the majority of her company's fan base felt about their current product. And, she agreed. As an experienced writer, booker, and talent manager, she knew WWE was not making the best use of the majority of the people they had contracted to them.

She herself was not one of them. She got a notification on her phone that a review of _RAW_ had been posted to youtube. The thumbnail was a still of her mid-curb stomp, and said _HERE'S TO YOU, MRS ROLLINS!_ She smiled, proud that she had put on a great main event.


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52 – The Return of Alexa**

After landing in Milwaukee, Kimber turned on her phone to learn that her private nude photos, pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, after pregnancy, and a couple of them also featuring her husband, had leaked online. She realized her google account had been hacked. It couldn't have possibly come at a worse time, the day before a big pay per view, when they were working the two biggest matches of the night, Seth was going to win the briefcase for the second time, and maintain his undefeated streak in ladder matches. They quickly set about doing as much damage control as they could, changing passwords and issuing statements, and WWE did what they could, too, of course, but once the pics were out there, they were out there.

At least they were on the tasteful end of the scale of nude pictures. Most of them she'd taken for her husband while he was away, and sent to him, and much ado had already been made of the one of seven-months pregnant Kimber in a black tactical vest and nothing else. The ones featuring Seth were from early in their relationship, one when they were fresh from a shower, and hugging each other so tight that nothing showed besides Kimber's left breast; the other from the morning he'd brought her breakfast in bed, just before they made love for the very first time. In that one, they were both completely on display. It was the one she'd playfully threatened to put on her official WWE instagram, but it hadn't ended up there. It had, like the rest, been posted under an account called, appropriately, _letsruinkimber_. At least it wasn't the first time either of them had had nudes go public, and Kimber couldn't help but laugh at the variety of objects that had been edited in to cover her and Seth's junk in some of the reposts. Money in the Bank briefcases, their logos, the _RAW_ tag team titles, and most amusingly, shocked Vince McMahon heads.

The only thing that bothered her about the leak was _who._ She thought the name of the account made it a personal attack, _letsruinkimber._ She thought of anyone who she may not have a good relationship with and the only one who came to mind was Alexa. Raven had finally extended an olive branch after Johnny was born and sent an elaborate gift basket very much like the one she'd received from Stephanie and Hunter. Kimber had called rather than send a note, and Raven had apologized and Kimber had accepted, and sent her maternity clothes to Tansy. If it wasn't a random attack, it had to be Alexa, or someone working on her behalf.

Kimber and Seth had a little time before they had to report to the brand-new arena for a meeting, and some rehearsals of their big spots, so they walked along the river holding hands, and took a picture of themselves with the Bronze Fonz. They admired the architecture of the office buildings and condos, but hated the smell of the river, and Seth was getting irritated by three teenage girls who were gawking at them and taking pictures from afar, so they raced each other back to the car, and Kimber won when her husband stumbled on the stairs. The short exercise made them both horny, and once they arrived at the arena, still quite early, they slipped into a small room for a quickie.

It was very dark in the room, and despite their best half-assed efforts to find the light switch as they peeled off clothing, they remained nearly blind. But, it didn't matter. Seth just picked her up, she wrapped her legs around his back and buried her hands in his hair, and for the first time in a long time, she was getting fucked backstage before a show. The last time had been with Trey, back when they were with PWG, and she had forgotten how much excitement this kind of naughtiness gave her. Kimber bit down gently on her husband's tan shoulder to stifle a moan of pleasure, but it was still a little audible in the back of her throat.

"I told you someone came in," a male voice whispered, a female one shushed it, and the shocked Mr. and Mrs. Rollins froze. Seth whimpered, and Kimber felt his cock spasm inside her, and his hot cum begin to fill her, and it sent her over the edge, too. She did not do a good job of muffling her noises, either.

She heard a familiar laugh. Bayley. "Oh, it's just Kimber." A flashlight from a phone was beamed into her eyes. "And Seth."

Using his wife to shield his nudity, Seth turned towards the light, which Bayley had turned on herself, on the floor on top of Elias. Her full-skirted dress hid her and his nudity, but Elias' pants and drawers were down around his shins, so it was pretty obvious what was going on. "Bayley...Elias." Seth nodded at them.

Kimber thought it was a shame that Elias wasn't into guys, so they left to get cleaned up. They parted with a kiss before the women's locker room as always, and Kimber began shaking hands and hugging everyone, some of them she hadn't worked with before, like _Smackdown_ champion Becky Lynch, nor Charlotte Flair, whom she was defending her title against. The ladder match competitors, from _RAW_ were herself, Ruby, Nia, and Sasha, and from _Smackdown,_ Lana, Sonya, Asuka, and Alexa. Stephanie had assured her she would be kept apart from Alexa while working the match, but Kimber still offered her hand to her enemy.

Alexa sneered, as though Kimber's hand was dirty. "No. But tell me, how was breakfast?" She gave a little laugh. "Morn-ing-glo-ry." She chanted and clapped like a fan.

Kimber smirked and rolled her eyes. "Nice to see you again, too, _little_ Miss Bliss. Now," she continued, "even though this is a dual-branded pay per view, this is still _my_ locker room, and I just want to make sure you're not going to cause any problems here."

 _"Your_ locker room?" Alexa hissed. Like Kimber, she apparently wanted to keep this low key. "Nothing here is _yours,_ except maybe your damned foolish husband, and you're the one who caused a shit ton of problems by getting pregnant and fucking up months and months of plans."

"Don't say another word about my family and answer my question. Are you going to cause problems, or can you rise above your hatred and jealousy and put on a good show for the people who paid to watch?"

Alexa laughed. "No one needs to pay to see you, Kimber."

"Thanks to you."

"I didn't do it. But, I'd like to meet whoever did so I can thank them for _letsruinkimber. Let's ruin Kimber!"_ Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap. _"Let's ruin Kimber!"_ Clap, clap, clap-cl-... Alexa suddenly ceased her cheer routine and her taunting smile drooped into a nervous pout.

The reason for her sudden silence was very suddenly right in her face. It was the Riott Squad, and Sarah started going off as Ruby and Liv surrounded Alexa. "Bitch, I don't know whothe fuck you think you are, but I'm gonna tell you right now you ain't nothin' but stupid little fuckin' bitch who's about to get the shit beat out of her!"

Kimber, almost unable to believe she was really doing it, stepped forward and saved Alexa. "Ladies, please," she implored to the Riott Squad, and to the others she saw heading over. "Please, let's just keep the peace."

"We will," Sarah replied. "As soon as we know this stupid little slut isn't going to cause any more problems."

"She won't," Becky said, from beside Liv. "You're not going to cause any problems here, are you?" She asked Alexa.

Defeated, the stupid little slut shook her head. Becky nodded. "Good."

The women went back to their own business, but Kimber sat down by Alexa and unzipped her bag and began pulling out fresh gym clothes and underwear, along with her ring shoes and guards. "Can't you just leave me alone?" Alexa whined.

"I'm not done talking to you yet. Now, you know that the match tomorrow is written to keep us apart. But, in case something goes wrong, knock on wood-" She rapped on the bench, "-I need to know that I can count on you to work with me as a professional if I have to call this on the fly."

"You? Who the fuck put you in charge?" Alexa spat.

"I take it that's a no. In that case, you'd better pray that nothing goes wrong during that match." Kimber locked up the rest of her things and headed to the shower.

Nothing went wrong during the match, but Kimber was still the one calling the shots, setting up a ladder here, making sure everyone remembered their spots and that everyone and everything was in place to make sure the match was done as safely and spectacularly as possible. And once again, she was the star, pulling out all of the high-risk moves she'd become famous for during her time on the independent circuit. She even wore special gear, a tribute to what her husband wore during his _Money in the Bank_ win, even though he was a heel at the time. She even clipped a blonde hairpiece into her hair, just like in her old "copy the Shield" days. She heard nothing from the crowd about her nudes, only a lot of _This is awesome, Let's go Kimber, Kimber Rollins, and Holy shit._

Her biggest and riskiest spot was at the very end of the match. Noticing that all of her competitors were out of action, Kimber jumped up and adjusted the ladder underneath the briefcase before beginning to climb, about to reclaim the contract she'd had to relinquish last year and praying that Nia wouldn't miss her cue. She didn't. She rose up and shoved the ladder over at the exact moment Kimber had her hand on the briefcase, and was reaching up to unhook it. She bailed off the ladder and landed on the announce table, which complied and collapsed, and she lay there helpless as Nia re-situated the ladder and climbed up to claim the briefcase. As Nia was announced as Miss Money in the Bank, Kimber sat up and sold her disappointment, devastation, and physical pain, even as she pushed the refs and fake doctor away. She was the last to go to the back, and she limped offstage alone in the dark to chants of her name.

The chants continued backstage, and she was hugged and congratulated as though she'd won the match. In a way, she had. She found her husband had been moved to tears, and he hugged her so tight it hurt, and she had to remind him, with a pained gasp, that she had just been in a ladder match. Then Hunter hugged her and praised her. Told her she had made him proud. Even Vince told her she'd done a great job.

In the locker room, she hugged and thanked everyone who had worked the match with her. Only Alexa resisted, but Kimber hugged her anyway. "You did a great job tonight-"

Alexa squirmed and grimaced. "Get off of me!" Kimber let her go, and the smaller woman began to brush herself off. "Nasty... Getting a hug from you is like...rolling around in garbage. The match is _over,_ I don't have to pretend like you matter anymore, because you _don't-"_

"Oh, get over yourself and come celebrate with the rest of us. We all put on a great match tonight and that's something worth letting bygones be bygones for, at least for the night," Kimber said, as she casually removed her little black gloves from her sweaty hands and unfastened the hairpiece.

"No, Kimber, you need to get over yourself. You are not the queen of the WWE, you're not in charge of anything, so you don't have any fucking place to tell me how to act." Alexa spoke low, apparently having learned not to draw attention to her drama. "So why don't you put on your SWAT vest, spread your legs, get knocked up again, and go away for another year?"

Realizing this was going nowhere, Kimber shrugged. "Suit yourself." She shoved her gloves and hairpiece into her bag and put on her wedding rings.

"I still can't believe Rollins married you. You're so...loose that kid just popped out of you like it was already five years old and going down a slide at the playground." Alexa laughed.

"Alright, that's it," Kimber declared, and stepped up in her face. "Pick up your shit and _get out!"_

Kimber's shout naturally brought reinforcements, in various states of undress, but Alexa was not intimidated this time, for Becky and Charlotte, the _Smackdown_ locker room leaders, were in the ring right now. "I'd like to see you make me... _puppyslut."_

She seized Alexa's bag, and threw it against the door. "You are hereby banned from this, and all locker rooms at future pay per views. I can't say shit about _Smackdown_ shows, because that's not my brand, but you are no longer welcome here. Get out."

"Make me," she replied, haughtily.

"Oh, I'll make you, you skinny little bitch!" Nia threatened, and charged forward like a rhino, followed by Ruby, Sarah, and Liv, and Kimber watched in amazement as Nia picked up her former best friend and slung her over one shoulder like a bag of manure.

"Fat fucking loser! Put me down!" Alexa protested, as she kicked and flailed her fists and elbows.

"Shut the fuck up!" Nia shifted Alexa's body backwards and held her by the boots, so she was upside down, and carried her out the door.

Liv began to frolick about barefoot in her ring gear, singing the goodbye song, and everyone joined in with the singing, if not the frolicking. She kicked Alexa's bag into the hall after the powerful woman had carried her out. "Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out, now!"

Kimber laughed. It was the first time she'd ever appreciated Liv. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all, at least she hated Alexa, too. But tonight, everyone was friends, it was a night to celebrate.

Even though it was all just a storyline, every title and briefcase a prop, Kimber couldn't help but feel a little sad about not having one at the after party. Her husband was now possessed of three such props, the men's briefcase, the IC title, and one half of the RAW tag team titles, the other one being over Dean's shoulder. With Roman's Universal title win, the Shield had every title on RAW, besides Bayley's women's championship. On Monday, Bayley would finally get to live out her dream of being in the Shield, so they'd have that one, too.

A somewhat-drunken Stephanie told a few people, including Kimber, that there would be a _huge, ground-breaking_ announcement on _RAW._ But she would say no more, so there was a lot of speculation on what it could possibly be. Even Seth, as close as he was to Stephanie and Hunter, knew nothing, but thought it was going to be the announcement of a new pay per view or new division of NXT, probably overseas. He said it with a sigh. "More travel, less time off." He finished his most recent drink, and raised his glass in the direction of the cocktail waitress.

"It won't necessarily be that," Kimber as she guided his arm down and shook her head at the approaching young woman. "It could be something like they're going to bring back the Hardcore title, or maybe make a women's tag division. I've heard that's been in the frying pan for awhile, women's tag titles."

Her husband shrugged and looked down at the glass of melting ice in his hand. "It's going to be something that'll fuck me in some way. Which reminds me... We have a fucking flight to catch tomorrow."

Seth's depression permeated his wife's psyche like a toxic fog, and suddenly, she was very tired and homesick. She missed her baby. She reached under the table, and handed him his shoes. "Come on, let's go."

Her husband pulled on his shoes and she picked up his props and they headed out of the party and down the hall to the elevators. As soon as they were inside one, Seth mumbled: "Fuck," and began to cry.

"Darling, what's the matter?"

"This song. This fucking stupid song..." He swiped furiously at his cheeks.

She listened to the elevator music, it was _Cats in the Cradle,_ no wonder why he was crying, and now she was tearing up as well. But, she forced herself to hold the tears in her eyes, to be strong for her husband, who had been so strong for her over and over and over. She shifted his titles up her arm and transferred his briefcase to her other hand so she could rub the back of his neck. "I miss him, too."


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53 – The Big Announcement**

"Here we go..." Seth mumbled as the roster headed out to gather on the entrance ramp.

"Darling, you're being a negative Nancy again," Kimber chided him as she squinted to try to see the ring in the darkness, but without her glasses, it was impossible.

"Oh my god..." Bayley whispered in delight, and clutched Kimber's arm. "I think it's a title! There's a podium in the ring, with a cloth draped over it and-"

The lights went up, shutting up everyone, but some gasps of delight escaped, and Seth let out a soft sigh of relief. "Thank god."

"Shhh..." Kimber shushed her husband. She could see the podium now, the cloth draped over it made it appear there was indeed a title beneath and Stephanie was in the ring. She knew it had to be a women's title, or titles, tag titles. Finally!

Stephanie started off by thanking all of the _RAW_ superstars, and then went on at some length about the women's revolution, until Kimber, like most of the other women, was almost fidgeting in anticipation. _Whatever is under that cloth is mine! Show it to me now!_ her fevered mind demanded. 

"...and so ladies, let me present to you the next step in the women's revolution..." Stephanie pulled off the cloth to finally reveal a gold title on a black strap. "The women's Intercontinental Championship!"

"That's mine," Kimber told her husband, almost too loudly, because she was so excited. It was hers, it had to be hers, who else on the roster deserved it more than her?

Stephanie went on to explain there would be tournaments held on both _RAW_ and _Smackdown_ over the next few weeks, with the number one contenders from each brand to meet at _SummerSlam_ to determine who would become the very first women's Intercontinental champion.

Bayley nudged her. _"You."_

Kimber just laughed, but she hoped with all of her being that it would be true. Being the very first to do anything in WWE was historical, and there was no one more deserving of making a tangible mark in WWE history than herself. Of course, there was the chance they could go with shit booking, and have a shit first-timer, like when Carmella won the first briefcase, but Kimber was pretty sure they wouldn't devalue a brand-new title right out of the gate like that.

The first two matches were held that night. Kimber's was against Liv and it was going to happen, as Stephanie said _right now!_ Kimber, who had been hoping the whole thing would be over soon because she really needed to go to the bathroom, managed to run off and piss in a janitor's closet during her opponent's intro, because the only other option was under the ring during a commercial break, and no doubt everyone would figure out what she was doing under there and make a big deal of it.

Since she and Liv had known they would be having a match, with Kimber to win clean, despite interference from the Riott Squad, resulting in them getting banned from ringside, they had discussed it earlier, before they had known what it really meant. No reason to change anything they'd planned, and Kimber told her that like a ventriloquist as she eyed her up after she'd made her entrance and hopped down from the ropes. Liv nodded as she said "You're going down, Kimber."

But of course, she did not. Afterwards, she posted _It's as good as mine_ along with appropriate hashtags and a snapshot of the tournament bracket, showing that she was the first to advance from the _RAW_ brand. Although they had not yet learned the planned results, Kimber could see that it would likely come down to her versus Sasha Banks on the last _RAW_ before _SummerSlam._ She considered the _Smackdown_ side of things and her phone interrupted with a reply to her post. It was none other than the "goddess" Alexa Bliss. _Yeah, it's as good as yours just as long as you don't get pregnant again._ It was followed by a few gross emojis and insulting hashtags, including the very tasteless _#closeyourlegs_. Kimber took a screen shot before Alexa could erase it, as she was apt to. She couldn't understand why Alexa continued to have so much hatred for her when she had long since proven herself as the epitome of what a WWE superstar should be. Also, she and Seth were married, so what if she had another baby with her husband?

Even though Alexa deleted her comment, it led to a whole slew of support and slander, and once again, Kimber wanted to just delete her social media accounts. She was tired of the drama, the controversy, the cattiness, but she had to keep a following. The greater her fan base, the greater the amount of money she brought in, the greater her booking. And really, it didn't matter if the comments she got were positive or negative, it didn't matter if her nudes were leaked, attention was attention as far as WWE was concerned. They were happy as long as she was generating it, but she strove to be a positive influence on social media, she chose her words and her battles carefully. Most of her posts were about three topics: wrestling, family life, or fitness.

Her night on _RAW_ wasn't over, she still had a part in the main event of newest Shield member Bayley versus Ruby Riott, a run-in from the crowd to diffuse the Riott Squad. She jumped the barrier in black jeggings, her CrossFit shoes, and the wrong shirt; she had thrown her _Reclaim_ shirt into the crowd before her match with Liv, forgetting she would need it later, so she wore her version of _Monday Night Rollins_ , purchased at a merchandise stand by one of the many backstage assistants. _Reclaim_ had either sold out, or hadn't been for sale in the first place. After Kimber put Sarah through an announce table, Liv ran off chickenshit, and Bayley conquered her challenger. _RAW_ closed on TV with the Architect's wife and the first female member of the Shield celebrating her victory together, setting up a tag match for next week's episode, during which Kimber would debut as a Shield member as well, Bayley having given her a SWAT vest (no, not the one she'd worn while cosplaying in the indies) before the show in a taped backstage segment dripping with unspoken emotion.

Kimber had in actuality, already received the vest and taken the necessary pictures of herself in her new gimmick, even before her return, and new group shots of the Shield had been done to include the two most dominant women on the _RAW_ roster, the five of them in different pairings and groupings, with or without masks and other props. She had to admit her new gear was sexy, she and Bayley wore black cargo pants and boots like the guys did, but rather than wearing the body armor style vests the guys wore, they had short, black, multi-pocketed tactical vests, which they wore over cropped, tight-cut, low-cut black t-shirts that showed off not only their abs, but their nice racks. Seth had been so sexually frustrated by the time the photoshoot was over that he'd looked at pictures of it on his phone and jacked off beneath a sweatshirt in the car as she laughed and drove them to their next commitment, which was at a gym, where they did an interview with a fitness magazine, and another photoshoot, for they were also on the cover, of course.

 _That IC title had better be mine,_ she thought as she traded her merch for a plain black tank top. _I really hate to think I'm working this hard for you for 200k a year, Vince._

Bayley came from the toilet area and struck a pose in the long mirror. "I don't think I'll ever take this off." She tugged proudly at her tactical vest. "I'm _so_ excited for next week!"

"Oh yeah, me too, way excited. I'm pissing my pants over here," Kimber replied sarcastically.

Bayley hugged her. "What's wrong?"

"Have you heard anything about the plans for the IC title?"

"Nothing. I think it should be yours, though."

"Me too. Fuck, I've done so much for this company, for not even half of what most of the guys make. I've done more public appearances and interviews and photoshoots than I can remember. I let them shoot a documentary of my life for almost a year, I let the whole world see the two most special moments of my life, my wedding and Johnny's birth. I let them pressure me into appearing on _Total Divas._ I started working out again exactly twenty-four hours after Johnny was born just so I could get myself cleared in time to make _Money in the Bank_. I did a freaking _gauntlet match_ the first night I came back, _weeks_ after giving birth! I left my baby behind to fulfill my _full time_ contract! I _deserve_ that title, and-" Kimber stopped, having finally realized she was ranting. But, she had to admit it felt good to get the feelings out. "If they put it on someone else, I'll just feel...like I'm doing all this for nothing."

Bayley nodded. "Nobody deserves it more than you. If they don't give it to you, I'll riot."

Kimber finally laughed, but before she could say anything else, there was a knock on the door, meaning there was a man on the other side, probably hers. Because Bayley was still getting dressed, Kimber went to answer it. She was right, it was her guy, along with Bayley's guy. "She should be out any minute," she told Elias, before hugging and kissing Seth.

"Ready to go?" He asked her.

"Mhmm, let me just grab my bag." She ducked back into the locker room, told her friend her boyfriend was waiting on her, and they hugged again.

Seth was oddly quiet on the way to their hotel room, and Kimber knew he was planning a surprise, or keeping a secret, but he couldn't seem to stop smiling, so she thought it was more the former than the latter. Of course, he could have just been really happy for the same reason she was; they were flying home early tomorrow morning and would get to spend three days with Johnny. Three days as a family.

But, in their hotel room, while her husband was in the bathroom, her mind wandered back to that IC title. She _had_ to be the first to win it, if she didn't, she'd want to quit. It would be like a kick in the ass, a slap in the face. She pouted and brooded. Upon his return, Seth noticed her mood had downshifted, and sat down beside her on the bed.

"Is something wrong, my love?"

Kimber sighed. "It's that damn IC title. I want it so bad it's killing me that they haven't told anyone anything yet about the outcome of this tournament. Hell, I don't even know if I'm going to win my next match, and probably won't know until earlier that day."

"Not knowing is part of the fun."

"Not for me it isn't. If that's the case, I'll be dead of a stress-induced heart attack or stroke by _SummerSlam._ I _need_ the IC title."

Seth rubbed her shoulders. "The IC title needs you. A brand-new title needs prestige, and I can't think of anyone else who can give it more. And, I'm not just saying that because I love you to bits. They'd be stupid to put that title on anyone but you."

"If they don't, I'm going to have to move on. My contract isn't up for another year and a half, but if they fuck me on this, I'm not going to re-sign, even if they make me champion between now and then. If I'm not the first women's IC title holder, nothing else matters."

"Honey, all you've done and continued to do...they won't overlook that. Come on, let's go to bed."

"I have no idea how I'm going to sleep tonight."

"You will, with my help." Seth gave her his most seductive, come hither look, and she responded by pouncing on him and pinning him to the bed.

But, even after the sexual tension had been released, sleep would not come for Kimber. Nestled in her arms, her husband soon nodded off, but she herself was restless. She disengaged herself and got out of bed to look at wrestling news on her phone. She bumped it on, and the first thing she saw was a text from her sister. _I'm on wikipedia!_ It was followed by a link. The page listed Brynn's full name, date of birth, hometown, current place of residence, the college she'd graduated from, and had pictures of her with Dolph, and also with a very pregnant Kimber, at the Hall of Fame ceremony along with still shots of her from Kimber and Seth's documentary. Her bio listed her as a developmental wrestler signed to WWE and training at their performance center, and noted that she was the younger sister of WWE superstar Kimber Rollins (her name in blue to link to her own wiki page), and that she had appeared in the documentary (link to that as well, very thorough). The personal life section covered her degrees and revealed her relationship with Dolph (also linked). Kimber smiled to see herself listed, along with Marek, as one of Brynn's trainers. She was so happy Brynn was getting noticed, but she couldn't help but worry about her sister's future. But, she aired on the side of positivity, and texted back that it was wonderful, she was on her way to being a household name, and so forth.

The only stuff she could find online about the IC title were discussions and top ten videos of who would get it done by youtubers. She was in the thumbnails of several of them, sometimes with the title photoshopped into her hand or across her hips. At least the WWE Universe agreed with her hopes and dreams; her needs. She knew it was no guarantee that WWE would.


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54 – Good News and Bad News**

The Rollins family always tried to make the most of their short time together, and squeeze in the activities of a couple of weeks into a few days. On Tuesday, they'd picked up Paulie and Johnny on the way home from the airport and rested for only a couple hours before getting on the move. By the end of the day Kimber was exhausted, but again, sleep would just not come. Around three in the morning, she got out of bed and pulled a short black silk robe over her nudity. Paulie followed her first into Johnny's room, to see he was still sleeping peacefully, and out to the deck and curled up in her lap on the wicker sofa. She checked her phone for any rumors about the IC title, but found nothing. She watched and read a few things about herself, and even found that her son had made his way into fan fiction, including one story in which he was nearly grown up and was training for the ring under the guidance of his mother and father, who were also training Dean and Renee's son. It was actually so well written she'd left a comment telling the author so, and that she hoped they would continue working on the story. Of course, she did not leave her name.

She knew that one day, she and her husband would be showing their son the ropes, what a pun. She tried to imagine what they'd look like in fifteen years or so, she and Seth in their forties, Johnny a teenager. She had seen school pictures of her husband at her in-laws', so Johnny was easy enough to picture, but she had a harder time thinking of herself or her husband.

She stretched out on the sofa and looked out at the orange-ish sky, the sun was going to rise soon. She and the dog heard the patio door slide open, and Paulie hurried to his master. Seth scooped up his dog and walked over to his wife, Adidas flip-flops slapping the bottoms of his feet. "You're up early."

Kimber yawned. "And you're naked." She yawned again. "I never really went to sleep." She sat up to make room on the sofa for her husband and dog.

Seth sat down, and Paulie stretched out across both their laps and rolled over on to his back. "Did Johnny get up? Why didn't you wake me?"

"No, he slept through the night. I checked on him before I came out here, he was still sleeping." She rubbed her eyes and scratched Paulie's belly. "I just couldn't sleep."

"The IC?" Seth asked, and put an arm around her, drawing her closer.

She nodded, her tired head on his shoulder.

"Fuck, I wish they knew what hell they're putting you ladies through by not telling you anything, or even letting anything leak. I'm not even sure they know what they're doing with it yet. I think everyone besides Liv, Dana, and Bayley is having trouble sleeping at night."

Liv and Dana had already been eliminated, by Kimber and Sarah respectively, and Bayley, as champion, would not be participating. "Do you think you could find out?"

Seth shrugged. "I don't know. I can try, but since this is all being kept very quiet, I don't know if I can get Steph or Hunter to tell me."

"I feel like I'm being fucked around. I don't like it one bit. And, I've realized that even if I don't get the title, I'll _have_ to re-sign."

"No you don't. You know there are other options."

"There aren't for Brynn. She won't be on the main roster by the time my contract is up, or at least I hope she won't, because they'll be pushing her too soon, just like they did to me. You know how Brynn is, darling, she's so sweet, but she's also kind of naive. Being with Dolph and in the performance center has helped a lot, but I _need_ to be there to look out for her when she gets to the main roster. I know that I could always go to ROH, Impact, all over the indies, but she can't. WWE will either promote her or release her, and I don't see her being released, as she's already drawing enough attention to have someone do a wikipedia page for her, and from what she's told me, she's doing great and her trainers love her."

Seth stroked her hair. "As soon as it's late enough, I'll make some calls and try to get to the bottom of this. Come on, lets go back to bed."

"Your mom said Johnny gets up early."

"I'll take care of him."

"He gets fruit in the morning, then a bath-" Kimber began.

Her husband sushed her. "I read Mom's note. You really need to get some sleep, come on."

Kimber allowed her husband to put her back to bed. He ducked into their bathroom and came out with two green capsules.

"Nyquil?" Kimber looked at the time. "I'll be out until noon if I take those."

"That's the point, you need it."

"But we were supposed to take Johnny to the zoo and-"

"We can go to the zoo after you get up. And Johnny and I can do the running around together and enjoy some father and son time."

Kimber realized that Seth had had very little time to bond with their son on his own and felt bad about that. She accepted the Nyquil and soon afterwards was soundly asleep.

She was up right around noon, as she had anticipated, and felt like a brand new woman. She took a shower right away and got dressed. Seth came in while she was doing her makeup and showed her pictures of Johnny's day. Breakfast, with peaches all over his face and a smile for dad. Bath time in the kitchen sink. Strapped to dad's chest in a baby carrier at the gym. Being held by "uncle" Marek, then showing off his milestones during tummy time on a blanket in one of the rings. Sleeping in his car seat. A short video of dad laughing while baby made a mess of strained peas he apparently didn't like the taste of. And finally, napping in his crib.

"I put them all online, too."

Kimber smiled. She loved him so much. No greater husband had ever existed.

"I made us that salad you like for lunch."

"Broccoli salad? Oh darling, you shouldn't have; it's downright sinful with all that sugar and bacon."

"I know, that's why I made it. I don't know if I got the recipe for the dressing exactly right, I didn't want to wake you, but I think I did okay."

Kimber kissed him. "I'm sure you did."

In the kitchen, Kimber ate and mused over how wonderful her life was, riding the high that came from a rare, long sleep. Then, Seth's phone, which just happened to be on the table beside her, began to ring, and she saw before he could grab it that it was Hunter. The soap bubble popped, and the troubles were released again. It was the call she'd been waiting for, she was sure. Seth got up from the table and hurried into the nearest private place, the powder room, so she knew he didn't want her around to hear the conversation, just in case it was bad. She forced herself to be dignified, and not go press her ear against the door.

The ticks of the kitchen wall clock, the classic Felix the Cat with swinging tail and sliding eyes, seemed much louder than usual. Her favorite salad had gone tasteless and she pushed it away. It suddenly felt very cold in the house, even though the air was off and the patio doors open. She reached for a sweatshirt hanging on the back of a chair and pulled it around herself. She fidgeted, she stared at Felix the Freakin' Cat and his huge moronic eyes and hoped Johnny would wake up so she'd have somewhere to shift her focus.

The longer Seth was in the bathroom, the more she feared the conversation was not going well. By the time he finally emerged, she was all but sick to her stomach from the anxiety. She didn't want to look up at his face, because it would be too easy to read. Seth, knowing this, just put his arms around her.

"Everything's all worked out, my love. Steph's going to contact everyone and let them know all of the booking, so you'll be getting an email soon, with the bracket completely filled out and all."

A small amount of relief washed over her, and Seth felt her relax in his arms. "Do you know who's getting the title?"

"Mhmm."

Kimber finally looked up at him. He was smiling. "Please, please, _please_ tell me it's me."

He planted a kiss on her nose. "Let's just say that come SummerSlam, I'll be married to the first women's IC champ."

Kimber began to tremble from the excitement. "Really?"

"Well, who else would they pick?"

"So Hunter didn't actually tell you."

"No, he did."

"But did you have to...you know...convince him?" She asked, dreading the answer.

"Not at all. I just straight up asked him who was going to get the title, and he said 'your wife'. He said it as if I should have already known. He said they were just keeping it on a need-to-know basis to prevent the results leaking online, so keep it to yourself."

"Who am I facing at _SummerSlam?"_ Kimber wanted to know.

Her husband shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't think to ask, but I'm sure you'll see once you get that email."

She looked at her phone. "Nothing yet."

"Patience, my love. He also mentioned you'll be part of the next release of Elite Mattel action figures, and you'll come with the IC title."

Kimber smiled. Finally, she was going to have a real action figure. She did have a _Total Divas_ doll, complete with detachable pregnant belly, newborn baby, and two outfits. Her face wasn't unique, it looked just like everyone else's, the same wide eyes and gentle smile, but the eye colors and skin tones were different, and they'd left her hair all black, which it hadn't been during her pregnancy, as she'd refused to dye it, the verdict still out on whether or not it was truly safe for an expectant mother to do that. But, that doll had been a milestone, the first time her image had been made into a toy, and she sent several of them to family and friends. Her mom had sent her a picture of the still-boxed doll on the bookshelf in the family room, alongside a pic of her and Brynn together on the red carpet at the Hall of Fame Ceremony, the same picture that appeared on Brynn's wikipedia page, ready to pop Kimber looking very much like the doll made in her image. Brynn kept hers on her night table, only she had removed it from the box, took off the pregnancy belly and dressed the doll in the post-pregnancy outfit. She had placed the baby in the doll's arms, too, which made Kimber tear up a little when she saw it while visiting Brynn, because it was the first time she'd been apart from Johnny for more than a few hours.

Later on at the zoo, Kimber was pushing an empty stroller (empty because Seth didn't seem to want to put his son down) when the email she'd been waiting for came through. She opened the attachment first, to reveal the bracket completely filled in, and zoomed in on the center. It was true, she was the _RAW_ finalist, and the winner. She slid her eyes up and over over to the right, and saw that her opponent was the last person she wanted to work with...Alexa.

She sat down on a handy bench and stared blankly at the bracket. Seth, who had been pointing out the elephants to Johnny, noticed she'd stopped, and rushed back over. "Everything okay?"

Kimber didn't reply. Seth set the baby in the stroller, and at the same time, both of their phones gave an alert. He looked at his. " _SummerSlam_ schedule... You're opening!... Oh..." Realizing why his wife was upset, he sat down on the bench beside her and put a hand on one thigh, in a buck-up buckaroo way. "It'll be okay. She worked well at _Money in the Bank."_

"We didn't do any spots together, in fact, I'm not sure we even came within three feet of each other that entire match. I don't think she can overcome her hatred of me to work the match professionally." Kimber shook her head. "Here I am, finally about to make history, and have a negative five-star match that will also make history as the worst opening to a pay per view ever."

"It won't-" Seth began.

"Yes it will. Even though it's been over a year, and we're on different brands, Alexa still wants to destroy me any way she can." Kimber went back to her email, to read the message that had come with the bracket, and the reason for having to work with her archenemy was made very clear, and she chuckled. " _I've_ got the upper hand!" She declared with triumph, and turned to hug and kiss her husband. "Alexa's contract is up at the end of August and our match is going to determine whether or not she gets re-signed! She has literally no choice but to work with me if she wants to keep her job! This is _great!_ And, if she does decide to fuck it up, I have permission to 'do what's necessary'."


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55 – Alexa and Kimber**

Kimber's week leading up to _SummerSlam_ was even busier than it had been last year. Brynn was in town, too, but Kimber didn't get a chance to meet up with her until Saturday night, before _Takeover,_ where she and a handful of other Performance Center recruits had secured bit, non-wrestling roles in the weekend's two big shows. Brynn's roles were paramedic during _Takeover,_ and some assistant bringing Miz a cup of coffee backstage at _SummerSlam._ Their parents were also there, however, the sisters did not tell their job that, not wanting them thrust into any kind of played up drama during Kimber's match, which was enough stress on her as it was.

It was common knowledge backstage that Alexa and Kimber had nuclear-level real-life heat between them, though not everyone knew why. But, somehow, the fans knew it as well, perhaps someone had alluded to it in an interview at some point, and when it was announced that the final to competitors in the IC title tournament were Kimber and Alexa, much ado had been made online about it, and their match was eagerly anticipated. She had tried to reach out to Alexa, to meet for coffee and hash out their match, but she'd not replied to her messages. It wasn't until the day of the event, when they arrived at the arena to practice and do various other things, that she was able to track her down, getting dressed in a handicapped stall in a ladies' room, because she'd been banned from the _Smackdown_ locker room as well.

Kimber stood on the toilet in the next stall and looked down at Alexa tying her shoes. She had a big pair of pink headphones on, but she could sense someone watching her and looked up. Upon seeing it was Kimber, she ripped the headphones off and glared at her. Kimber gave her a soft smile in return. "I've been trying to get a hold of you all week so we can plan our match."

"Yeah, I know. It's like you've been stalking me," Alexa retorted. "I figured we could just hash something out as we practice. After all, you think you're God's gift to the world of pro wrestling, so you should have no problem calling this match all by yourself."

"Alexa, I know you hate me for reasons I've never been able to figure out, but please, just listen to me. This match is important, and I'm not saying that just because I'm going to win. We are opening one of the biggest shows of the year. We need to put on a stunning match that floors the crowd and sets the tone for the rest of the night."

"Won't be a problem for you, Kimber."

"Will it be a problem for you? I know you're capable of pulling off some really good shit when you want to, your showing in your _Elimination Chamber_ match was incredible. We can really set a high bar for everyone else." Kimber gave her another small smile. "I also know the stakes in the match for you."

Alexa nodded, and for the first time ever, weariness and defeat had replaced the anger and loathing. "Yeah, and won't _you_ be happy when I'm gone?"

Kimber see-sawed her head in thought. "On a personal level, yes. You've gone above and beyond to do everything you could to hurt me, well, not only hurt me, but _destroy_ me since I came on to the main roster, and to a degree, you've succeeded in that. I will _always_ bear the scars inside from the things you put me through. I will _never_ be the same." She had to struggle to stay strong now, and not cry, because she really wanted to. She cleared her throat and her voice stayed even. "But, personal feelings aside, as someone who has run a promotion and scouted talent, no. I'd want to keep you, because you're a draw. The men love you, the women want to be like you; just look at all the girls online posting cosplay pics of you. Your mic work is spot-on, and you've grown so much as a worker that you can be taken as a serious opponent for anyone. You were amazing during _Elimination Chamber,_ the best spots in that match were yours."

"Only because you weren't there to steal the show. I really hoped you'd never come back, that you'd just stay at home and keep having kids. Why did you have to come back?"

Alexa's baring a bit of her soul stopped Kimber's planned snide reply of _Because I'm contracted to._ Instead, she said: "Wrestling is more than just a paycheck for me, it's my life, my love, my passion, what I was born to do. Doing it at the highest level possible, entertaining millions of people, that's something that so few wrestlers ever even get a glimpse of. Every night I go out to that ring, I am _grateful_ I get to be there, and no matter what's going on behind the scenes or in my personal life, I leave it behind on the mat when I wipe off my boots."

"Why do you do that, anyway?" Alexa asked.

"What, wipe off my boots?" Kimber asked.

Alexa nodded. "I've been other people do it, too, and I just wondered if it's a tribute to someone or what."

"It's a traditional act of courtesy, so as not to drag dirt and filth into the ring. When you work the indies, a lot of the places you work aren't very clean, don't have locker rooms or even bathrooms sometimes. Some events are outside, so you're walking through dirt and worse, especially if you happen to be at a death match, there's usually broken glass and shards of fluorescent tubes all over the place. So, you wipe your boots before you get in the ring. It's something that just sticks with you automatically, like washing your hands after using the bathroom." Kimber explained.

"Oh." Alexa replied, but it was more of a sigh, and began packing away her things.

Kimber hopped down from the toilet and waited for Alexa to come out of her stall. "So, what do you say? Can we both steal the show tonight? Make the first match the best match?"

For the first time ever, Alexa smiled at her. "Yes. Just as long as you remember to wipe your feet."

"You, too." She saw Alexa's makeup case slipping from the stack on top of her rolling suitcase and grabbed it before it crashed to the floor. "Want help with some of this stuff?"

"Thank you," Alexa said, humbly.

Kimber took the makeup case and a tote and held the door for Alexa so she could roll the suitcase out, and Roman, who was standing out in the hall with his wife and kids, looked surprised, but recovered to introduce them to his family.

Then, to her own surprise, her parents were there, someone had spilled the beans and now her folks would probably get a bit part in her match, likely Alexa taunting them. But she didn't say anything, she just smiled and hugged them and introduced them to Alexa as if they were old friends and she knew then that Brynn had not told them what Kimber had confessed to her that one day while out walking.

Her rehearsal with Alexa went so well that others actually cheered for them, and their coworkers got over the shock that the two had apparently reached a truce. Kimber talked to Becky, who agreed to let Alexa back into the locker room, if only just for the night, and both of them warned the other women not to make a big deal about it, because Alexa would not cause any problems. And she didn't. She was quiet as a mouse as she got into her special _SummerSlam_ ring attire (both she and Kimber were getting somewhat special entrances with pyro and special effects), reviving her old Harley Quinn gimmick fully. Kimber's ring gear was a salute to Batgirl, shiny black leggings and top, gold shoes, pads, belt, and long, fingerless gloves. She refused to go so far as wearing a mask, but did agree to a cape-type garment with her logo on it and a headband with ears during her entrance. Batgirl versus Harley Quinn. Good versus evil.

Together, Kimber and Alexa set that arena on fire, trading offense and showing off their signature moves. The only botch they had was when Alexa was outside the ring, and not quite in the right position to catch Kimber flying off the top rope, and they both landed awkwardly in a tangled pile near the entrance ramp.

"Fuck, that's on me," Alexa whispered. "Are you okay?"

Kimber, who was still catching her breath, reached over and squeezed her hand briefly. "Uh huh," she panted. "You?"

"Mhmm."

The ref began the long ten count, and as planned, Kimber and Alexa stayed dazed outside the ring. On six, they began to stir, and got on their feet and traded blows on the way back to the ring, where they both slid under the bottom rope just in time. Alexa got on her feet first, and began stomping Kimber before running over to the rope to shout insults at her opponent's parents, seated ringside. They shouted right back at her, and Kimber took advantage of the distraction to grab her and roll her up, and she kicked out, but then Kimber administered to her a curb stomp and turned her over to pin her, thanking her under her breath as she did all of her opponents, whether she lost or won.

"I'm sorry," Alexa whispered. Her voice was trembling, she was crying.

Kimber pinned her with their heads very close, and whispered back. "Don't be. You were great."

"I mean...for everything." She said, in between the count.

Kimber was crying because of that apology even before she was handed the title and hoisted it over her head in victory as the crowd chanted _You deserve it_. There was no need to hide the tears, it was an emotional moment, through her tears she could see others in the crowd wiping their eyes. In her peripheral vision, Alexa slowly rolled out of the ring and slowly but quietly made her way backstage, still selling her pain and disappointment. Kimber rolled out of the ring, too, and went to hug her parents.

Backstage, people were crying and began to clap when she came in, wiping her eyes, trying to fight the urge to bawl. Hunter and Stephanie were hugging Alexa. Her husband was there, and she jumped into his arms, nearly slapping him with her prize. They kissed and spun and he set her down. She stared at the title. _Her_ title.

After washing the tears away, Kimber posed with the McMahon family, who complimented and thanked her. After that, she hurried to the locker room, hoping Alexa was still there. Kimber looked past everyone else, to see her sitting on a bench with her head in her hands. Her excited friends and acquaintances reached for her, said things like _the champ is here!_ but she brushed them off and went to the woman she'd just had a match with, a match that she knew would stand out as one of the jewels of both of their careers.

Alexa was still crying profusely, and Kimber sat down beside her and put an arm around her. The locker room grew silent as everyone stopped to watch, certain that Alexa would freak out. But instead, she wrapped her arms around Kimber. "I'm so sorry," she repeated.

Kimber hugged her back, and gave everyone else a look to go about their business, which they did. "I forgive you. Thank you." The door swung open, and a shocked Renee Young with baby Justin in her arms stared at the hugging women, but Naomi began making much ado of Justin, and the baby and mother just became a distraction, leaving the former enemies alone.

"No, thank _you._ You totally saved my ass. They've offered me a new contract."

"That's great! I'm so happy for you. I hope we get to work together again," Kimber said, quite truthfully, and gave her another big squeeze before letting go.

"Me too. I feel so bad, though, for all those awful things I did to you. You could have taken revenge on me tonight, and I wouldn't have blamed you if you did."

"I won't lie, the thought did cross my mind. But if I did that, it would have made both of us look bad and probably devalued a brand new title. And, it would've made me feel guilty for a long time."

"I know..." Alexa looked down at her gloves. "Thank you for getting me back in the locker room, too. You didn't have to do that."

"No, I wanted to."

A knock on the door, and Kimber suddenly remembered she had an interview to do where she'd announce she would be doing an open challenge on tomorrow's _RAW._ "That's for me." She gave Alexa another hug. "See you around."


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56 – Sexy/Hot/Intense/Erotic/Lusty/Dirty**

For the first time ever, Kimber opened _RAW_ with a title and alongside her husband. With them were Bayley, Roman, and Dean, everyone in Shield gear with their titles proudly displayed. Seth also had his briefcase. And it was the newest champ, Kimber, who cut the scripted promo. The Shield was now five strong, clearly the most dominant force on _RAW,_ and they were fighting champions, blah blah blah. Keeping with that tradition, she announced her open challenge to any woman backstage, and Seth announced his and Dean's for the tag titles as well, ya-da ya-da. Made the fans go nuts, though.

After the promo, Kimber and Bayley went back to the locker room to put down their titles and SWAT vests and gloves before heading to grab some refreshments. They were alone.

"You look so sexy with a title, it's not even funny."

Kimber started to laugh, but saw that Bayley was serious and smiled devilishly at her as she performed a striptease with her vest before striking a sexy pose with her title around her hips. "Oh yeah?"

"Hell yeah," Bayley replied, and wrapped her arms around her Shield sister's waist and kissed her. Kimber eagerly returned the affection, and put her hands on Bayley's perfect ass and slipped her the tongue.

The made out and felt each other up until Kimber realized that if they didn't grab some food now they wouldn't get another chance until after the show was over and would have to sustain themselves with Clif Bars. Both of them were ridiculously busy tonight. Reluctantly, they let go of each other and parted ways with some of their costumes and props and went to raid catering.

"I really want to see Elias play with Seth," Bayley told her, after they found a table in a quiet corner.

"Dirty girl. That does sound pretty hot, though. Bet Seth would be down."

Bayley took a bite of her sandwich, chewed and swallowed before shaking her head. "I still haven't completely sold him on it. He's admitted that he can't really say for sure that he's not into guys, because he's never been with one. And, he did say that Seth has a very nice cock."

Kimber smiled. "I can confirm that."

Bayley giggled. "I've only seen the pictures. Anyway, it sure would be hot to watch them suck each other off or something."

Kimber nodded eagerly in agreement, her mouth full of roast beef sandwich. "I love it when Seth plays with guys. When I found out he did Cyberfights it was like the hottest thing ever."

"You could tell he thought it was hot, too."

"Yeah, kind of hard to hide that."

"Did you get turned on when you did that Cyberfights stuff?"

"Hardcore Wrestling Vixens," Kimber corrected. "Yes, I did, depending on who I was working with."

"I want to have a match like that with you."

"That can be arranged easily enough. I do have keys to two wrestling schools. Unless you want to try having it before a show," Kimber teased, knowing her friend's fetish for public play.

"Oh, no, not even I'd try something that crazy. I mean, I wouldn't mind if Elias was there, or Seth, or both, maybe a few other people..." Bayley chuckled.

So did Kimber. "You want an audience when I sit on your face and claw your crotch?"

"Preferably."

Kimber looked at her travel schedule. "I'll be home next Tuesday, early. Seth's got a couple appearances, so he won't be home until Thursday. Doesn't matter, I still have access to the school, so come out with Elias and whoever else you want to watch and we can have the match anytime between Tuesday around noon and Sunday night, well, at least any time there's not training going on. I can always give Marek a heads up not to be around...unless you want him there."

"Sounds great, I'll see what flight I can get on!" Bayley instantly grabbed her phone.

"Later, I've got a match in half an hour, and you have to come with me. We need to get our shit and get over there."

For the second time that night, Kimber walked out to the Shield theme in full SWAT gear, her title proudly displayed over one shoulder. She grabbed a microphone and called out her opponent. Cue the Riott Squad theme and all three came out to rush into the ring to jump her. Enter Bayley for backup and the women of the Shield cleared the heels from the ring. Commercial break, then a match with Ruby, with plenty of distraction on the outside with Bayley, Sarah, and Liv until Kimber took out the latter two with a spectacular suicide dive. Commercial break again. She got back into the ring, one last final exchange of signature moves, and she finally put Ruby away after a big frog splash. Cue the Shield theme, Bayley entered the ring, fist bumps, hugs, and black hair hanging all over each other. Classic Shield love. Dean and Seth came out to join them, as _RAW_ had started experimenting with a new format, blending segments into one another, and after a commercial break, the men called out their opponents.

Sanity and Nikki Cross responded, so Kimber and Bayley stayed to diffuse the excess two people, one of them being a man. No physical contact happened until Nikki attacked Kimber, provoking a response from Bayley, but Killian merely picked her up and put her over his shoulder. With Dean and Seth, along with Alexander and Eric, lying in rest on the canvas, and Kimber exchanging blows with Nikki, Roman ran out from backstage to save the women's champion. Battles on the inside and outside of the ring, and the Shield emerged victorious in both areas, and closed out _RAW_ the same way they'd opened it, strong, sexy, dominant, posed with their titles raised, Dean holding both of the tag titles so Seth could raise his briefcase, too. After the show, Sanity and Nikki came back into the ring for a dark match against Kimber and the Shield boys, Bayley cheering them on the outside. Another victory for the Shield, and Kimber was pleased to see the majority of the audience had stuck around for the whole thing.

By the time she and Bayley got back to the locker room, they had it to themselves. "Do you realize," Kimber began, as she began shedding her sweaty gear and packing it away, "that we were on damn near two-thirds of the show tonight?"

"I know," Bayley said, as she did the same. "It's so exciting."

Now nude, Kimber hugged her, and gave her a soft kiss. "And it's all because of you. This whole super-dominant Shield thing was your idea." She stroked Bayley's hair.

"It's all because of you, really. When I saw some fan videos of your indie Shield cosplay, I wanted to do that so bad." She kissed Kimber back, and they headed to shower, tying up their hair on the way.

"And now you're doing it."

"Yeah, and getting so turned on every freakin' time. I know you said Seth gets turned on, too, so I guess I'm not alone, but still, it really made tonight tough."

Even though they were individual stalls, the Shield sisters crowded into one. The spray was very weak, and lukewarm at best, but to Kimber it felt romantic, like kissing in a summer rain as they washed each other with her shower poof and Bayley's body wash.

They laughed when they realized they could only wash down to a certain point before the closeness of the shower risked them getting stuck. Kimber, who'd been dying to explore Bayley's cute pink pussy with her mouth, settled for using it on her breasts instead, and used her hand to gently fondle her.

"Oh...Kimber..." Bayley sighed with delight, and opened her legs.

"I've been dying to taste you," Kimber whispered, and gently nipped her ear as her fingers spread her below, and slowly explored the entrance to her friend and soon to be lover. She could feel how wet she was, slick and smooth in contrast to the shower water. She kissed down the side of Bayley's neck, all the way back down to her breasts. Bayley moaned, and Kimber circled her tongue around a nipple as she slipped two fingers into her hot, very wet pussy.

"Oh...fuck...oh, Kimber... This is sooooo...fucking hot..."

Kimber moved her thumb and began rubbing her clit as she finger fucked. "Mmmm, does my dirty girl like that?"

"Oh yes, I love it," Bayley managed to pant out and began to ride Kimber's hand. "Oh, fuck, Kimber, you're going to make me cum!"

Kimber looked up from her breasts. "Good. Cum for me, you dirty, dirty girl."

"Oh...fuck..." Bayley moaned, and froze, clenched tight around Kimber's fingers, trying to ride the edge for just a little longer. Kimber gave her a naughty grin, and pressed down on her clit. It was like setting off a bomb. Bayley gasped and cried out in time to the spasms of her orgasm, her hips bucking involuntarily against Kimber's hand.

"Good girl," Kimber murmured, and used her other hand to steady her, her legs had begun to tremble as her orgasm died away. Kimber slipped her fingers out, and licked them before the gentle shower could wash much away. "Mmmmm. Not quite how I wanted to taste you, but you still taste wonderful. I can't wait to go down on you."

Bayley leaned against the shower wall, her features frozen in sex face. "Okay, but give me...a minute... That was intense! That was...amazing!"

Kimber laughed. "I didn't mean now. We gotta get going to the after party."

"Oh yeah..."

Kimber turned off the taps and grabbed the towels. They dried off and started getting dressed.

"Hey, I was thinking about our match."

"Oh yeah?" Kimber asked, as she began brushing her hair.

"Mhmm. I want us both to wear plain black thongs and our SWAT vests. Nothing else."

"I think that can be arranged. You know Seth's going to want to see this match, right?"

"Yeah. Is he going to want to, you know, jack off while watching?"

Kimber laughed, and remembered how hard Seth got every time he saw her in her Shield attire. "Maybe."

"It would be really hot if he did. I want Elias to jack off during the match, too. I love watching Elias play with himself."

"Go on everybody, play with your cock and balls, it'll be good!" Kimber exclaimed in her Adam Sandler voice.

Bayley laughed. "Yeah, pretty much. That's what I want. I want to look out from the ring while you've got me in some erotic rest hold and see my man playing with your man."

Kimber grinned and smacked Bayley on her big round butt with the back of her hairbrush. "Filthy," she declared, "but I love it. Come on, the party can't get going without the champs."


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57 – Cracks in the Shield**

Kimber heard her phone ringing in her gym bag just before she started a set of fifty wall balls, and the coach/owner turned on the music. As if she hadn't already created enough of a stir in this class just by being there. The WWE Women's Intercontinental Champion had decided to grace their gym, and she imagined the owner probably wouldn't charge her the fee for the drop-in session, and that she would be taking pictures and signing stuff after the WOD. She didn't mind, and smiled at everyone who looked at her, said all the encouraging things to the people she passed by on the cash out run, and when class was over, she took the time to shake hands, talk, and take pictures.

It was pretty much the only time she'd had away from the Shield ever since she became a member. Of course, she loved traveling with Seth, but now WWE wanted the whole faction to be on the road together as much as possible, all five of them. So now, rather than sedans, they had to rent big SUVs, which Kimber was terrified to drive, so Seth and Roman did most of it. Five people now had to agree on where to eat and when. Bayley was upset about not being able to travel with Elias, even though he and his new traveling partners, Bo and Curtis, were able to coordinate their hotel arrangements with the Shield's, so she did get some nights with him. But she often was alone at night, Kimber with Seth, Dean and Roman sharing a room. Although Kimber spent as much time with her as she could, she was clearly depressed, and often irritated, particularly with Dean, who had a habit of drinking too much coffee; was a boisterous, obnoxious drunk; and could be downright petulant when denied something, like a stop for ice cream. Kimber thought he was a pain in the ass, too. Seth hated the fact that the five of them together drew more attention to them wherever they were; he still hated being gawked at and pestered. Kimber, of course, was accommodating, but when someone took a picture of her buying a tampon from the vending machine in an airport ladies' room, she started feeling differently, and looked back with fond nostalgia to when she was first starting out. After a match, she would change behind a screen or in the ladies' room out of her ring gear, spray herself with Axe Anarchy for Her, fix her hair and makeup, and go watch the rest of the matches from the back of the room, mostly ignored by the mostly intoxicated fans.

She had to wait around after class for Seth, who'd had an interview, to pick her up, and she remembered her phone. The missed call was from Stephanie, and there was also a text. Someone had proposed the idea that Kimber and Seth have a reality show, not on the Network, but on TV, and wasn't it exciting, please don't say no.

Of course, her first thought was _NO._ She understood what it meant to WWE, mainstream publicity, what was best for business. She knew how popular the three-part documentary was, and the one that was hers alone (which followed her during the weeks she was training hard for her return) had also done great. She drew mainstream publicity every time she appeared on _Total Divas,_ the episodes she was in brought more viewers than non-Kimber episodes. Her merchandise sales were huge. Her appearances were always well-attended, she always had a line to keep clearing. Stephanie hadn't lied last spring when she'd told the locker room "Kimber is what's best for business."

Anger began to smolder within her. For the first time ever, she was truly pissed at her employer, or contract holder, if you would. It had begun with this whole damn Shield-must-travel-together rule, compounded when she was informed last week that eleven months would be added on to her contract due to maternity leave (which was _bullshit,_ she had made those documentaries and been on _Total Divas_ during that time, maternity leave my ass), and being pressured to do a reality show was the fuel that set the blaze. "No," she said aloud. "No, no, no." She wanted her free time for herself, for her family. She wandered around to the big garage door and saw the tractor tires stacked there. She took the one from the top and began to flip it with as much violence as she could, each movement punctuated by a loud "NO!"

She was on her twenty-first flip when she saw the SUV pull in, but she did four more to make it a set of twenty-five before heaving the tire back up and joining her husband in the rental. The tire flips had stomped out the embers of wrath, life could go on.

They kissed. "How was class?" Seth asked.

"Brutal, just like it ought to be."

"Couldn't have been too brutal for you to be out flipping a tire afterwards and screaming 'no' at the top of your lungs."

Kimber shrugged. "Felt I had to." She reached into her gym bag and pulled out her sweatshirt. Her hubby had the AC cranked, and her sweaty gym clothes had become cold. Her phone began to ring again, Stephanie. She didn't answer it.

"Speaking of phones, did Steph get in touch with you?" Seth asked, a happy lilt in his voice.

She looked over at him in shock, and for a few moments, she couldn't speak as it dawned on her that he _wanted_ to do this reality show. She always thought he'd be the last person to want to do such a thing, put his whole life on display to the fans who made him cringe and pull the hand sanitizer from his fanny pack. "She sent me a text," she finally said, flatly. "She called right before the WOD, and again just now. I didn't answer then, either."

"I'm game. Are you?"

Kimber's jaw literally dropped and she gaped at her husband. "I think we already let WWE control too much of our lives. Hell no I don't want to do this. Why do you?"

Seth shrugged, as though the answer should be obvious to his wife. "For Johnny. The more money we bring in, the better life we can give him, and our future children." He smiled wistfully at her.

"Future children?" Kimber helplessly chuckled and shook her head, though she was secretly pleased he wanted to produce more offspring with her. "Strange time to say you want to have another baby."

Seth blushed and laughed. "I had to say it sooner or later."

They were at a stoplight, and she leaned over to kiss him. It turned into a passionate kiss, the light turned green, and only the beeping of the cars behind them broke it up. He continued to drive, and she said: "Maybe when my contract's up I'll take break for a year or two, if Brynn's not going to be moving to the main roster during that time I'll be gone."

"You mean Kira," Seth said. Recently, Brynn had chosen her ring name from a few suggestions, and opted for Kira because it was a nice accompaniment to Kimber.

"Yes, Kira. What a pretty name. How the hell did I end up with 'Kimber'? Well, because the other two choices were Lacey and Kellie. And, we make more than enough money to support our family, even if we have ten kids, though I'm not doing that."

"We'd be able to start our own promotion with ten," Seth said, and laughed.

"But really, darling, we don't need to do this show for money. Even if WWE fires us both tomorrow, we have savings, our schools, and lucrative careers elsewhere."

"When I said I want to do this for Johnny, I didn't just mean the money it will bring. I meant it'll be a part of his history that he can look back on when he's older, and God willing, even more successful than us. This show is going to be about our family life, not take time away from it."

"Oh...I don't know..."

"I promise you, my love, this is going to be a good thing."

"I'm not so sure, but I'll give it a chance, for you and for Johnny." Suddenly, another thought occurred to her. "And for Brynn. I mean, Kira. I want her to be part of this, too."

Seth broke into a relieved smile. "I'm sure that can be arranged. So you're in?"

"Provided my sister gets some air time, yes, I'm in."

Her husband squeezed her hand. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Hey, where are we going?"

"We're meeting Bayley and Elias for dinner."

"You mean _just_ Bayley and Elias?" Kimber asked, her excitement coming through in her voice. "Nobody else? Really?"

"Really, really." Seth replied in imitation of Shrek.

Kimber hugged him tight. "The only thing that would be better is dinner for two. But really, this is great. Bayley and I can talk about our match, and you and Elias can get to know each other a little bit better." She raised one eyebrow in innuendo.

"That's why Bayley and I picked the place we did. We've been there before, it's super-private, the drinks are super-potent, and the sushi's not bad, either." Seth chuckled.

Because of the time of night, the sushi and hibachi restaurant was also super-dead, and the foursome was seated in a comfortable, oriental decorated booth, Bayley and Kimber on one side, Elias and Seth on the other. Once their first drinks were delivered and they'd placed their orders, Seth let the curtains down, securing the four of them in their own private world.

Immediately, one of Bayley's hands slipped into Kimber's, and the other under the table and on her boyfriend's thigh. She stared at him with interest while Seth began his gentle overtures, speaking in a soft voice as he touched and complimented Elias' watch. Elias was blushing, and wore a silly smile. Bayley couldn't help but exclaim: "Oh my god, this is the hottest thing ever!" in hushed tones as she bounced up and down in her seat.

Seth grinned his sexiest smile. "Just wait," he told her, and shifted his smile to Elias, and locked eyes with him as he lifted his glass.

The others followed. "Hey, who's driving?" Kimber asked.

"Roman," Bayley replied, and squeezed her hand.

"But, our rental-"

Bayley cut her off with a soft kiss which turned into all tongue. When she pulled away, blushing and smiling because she'd kissed a girl in front of her boyfriend for the first time, she explained. "Bo's going to drive Roman, Curtis, and fuckin' Dean up here, Elias will leave with them, Roman and fuckin' Dean will come with us. So party hard, just try not to throw up this time."

"I won't throw up if you don't piss in public," Kimber replied to Bayley's gentle tease.

"Seal the deal with a kiss?"

Kimber obliged, and made it the most sensual kiss possible, in hopes of enticing the men to start doing the same, before she set about drinking away the stress of the day.

A couple hours later, the restaurant was getting ready to close and the two couples were three sheets to the wind. Kimber had so far not thrown up, but she didn't know if she'd be able to keep up her end of the bargain and not do it at some point. Bayley had turned into a total hornball, even though the men hadn't yet kissed, Elias had responded to Seth's gentle touches, and now had his head on Seth's shoulder. Seth was stroking his hair, and Elias seemed to enjoy it to the point he was looking ready to pass out.

Bayley, who didn't want to go back on her promise not to piss in public, had the presence to make sure all the drunks hit the bathroom on the way out. Even though Kimber was afraid that just being near a toilet would make her want to bend over it and spew, she went along with her Shield sister. As they washed their hands, she admitted that she actually wanted to throw up before hitting the road, because she was afraid she might get sick in the car.

Bayley held her close and stroked her hair. "You'll be fine, but if you think you need to throw up, just throw up."

"Really? You're not going to give me a hard time?"

Bayley gave her another kiss, and patted her ass. "I promise. I'll meet you outside, okay?"

After she left, Kimber did what she had to, and felt a lot better because of it. She washed out her mouth and drank a little water. Life was good again, until she got in the rental. Bayley had begun crying quietly from the moment she parted with Elias. Kimber had tried to comfort her, but she just shook her head and put her headphones on. Kimber wished she had hers, too. With Bayely ignoring her on the left, and her husband passed out on the right, the only thing she could do was listen to Dean, who was also inebriated as well, tell loud stories about his misspent youth. Roman would laugh, but Kimber didn't care much for Dean's raunchy stories. She laid her head on Seth's chest and shoulder and tried to drift off to sleep.

What seemed like mere moments later, she was awoken by Bayley's frustrated growl. "Shut the fuck up! Why can't you just _shut the fuck up?!"_

The angry tone Kimber had never heard her use before was directed at Dean, of course. Beneath her, Seth jumped and woke as well, with a deep gasp.

 _"You_ are the most _annoying, obnoxious, childish, ill-mannered-"_

"Hey, Bayley-" Seth began.

Bayley turned on him. "Don't you _hey_ me. And you, neither, Kimber. I see that whole _stop it, Shield love and brotherhood_ all over your face girl, and you know I love you, but this _boy_ needs to go." She turned around and knelt on the seat to grab Dean's bag from the back. "Pull over, Roman!"

"Woman, I don't know who you think you are that you can order me around, but you ain't putting my brother out on the side of the road."

Dean gave Bayley a triumphant smirk before addressing Roman. "We should pull over anyway, I gotta pee."

"Of course you do," Bayley snapped. "Every twenty minutes, you need to piss, you need to shit, you need something to eat or something to drink so you can piss and shit even more. You want to stop and see the biggest wad of chewed gum in the world and the site of the World's Fair in 1879! _You are a pain in the ass!"_

Uncomfortable Kimber glanced at her equally-uncomfortable husband, and Roman merely ignored Bayley. "I'll stop at the next gas station or rest stop," he told Dean, who just wiggled a little and nodded.

She turned on Roman. "Of _course_ you will, because the Shield operates on Dean's whims! It doesn't matter what I want or what Kimber wants-"

Kimber bolted up. "Bayley, don't bring me into this. Please," she added, gently, even though she, too, was damn sick and fucking tired of traveling with Dean.

Seth motioned Kimber to switch seats, and she climbed over his lap so he could sit beside Bayley. He put an arm around her, and although she fought him off, it wasn't for long; she broke down and cried into her hands like a little girl while he rubbed her shoulders and tried to soothe her.

"I feel like such an asshole..." She sniffled. "Crying like this... I _hate_ this!"

"I know, me too," Seth replied. "Life will go back to normal someday. Someday this will all be in the past."

"Someday fuckin' soon, I hope," Bayley snapped, but defeat had replaced the anger. "Fuck, I need a damn Kleenex." She swiped furiously at her runny nose, and without looking back at her, Dean offered a handful of fast food napkins. She accepted, and the gesture seemed to spin her mood again. "Thank you." She blew her nose and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry...everyone. I miss my guy."

Roman shrugged, Dean nodded, and Kimber reached around Seth to pat her hand. Seth squeezed her shoulder. "I know. It's okay." He turned to Roman. "I think we all need a break."


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58 – The Shield Erotic**

Kimber went directly to the wrestling school after landing in Quad City and began cleaning the ring she and Bayley would use. Marek came in with a big Amazon box while she was wrapping the ropes with fresh white tape. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Kimber stopped with the tape and took the box from Marek with a smile. "My cleaning supplies and whatnot I know we needed around here. And, I'm here to clean this ring for a very special match I'm going to be having on Thursday."

Marek grinned. "Oh yeah, Seth mentioned something about that. You and Bayley."

"Mhmm...going back to my roots in _Hardcore Wrestling Vixens_." Kimber joked, and opened the parcel with the pocketknife she'd been using on the tape. Toilet paper, baby wipes, hand soap, paper towels, Kleenex, Clorox wipes...

"Are you going to record it?"

She laughed. "No way. If it ever got into the wrong hands, we'd all get fired. Me, Seth, Bayley, and her boyfriend. Bayley says she doesn't mind if you come watch, just as long as you get gay with Seth and her guy."

"I'm no stranger to getting gay with Seth," Marek said with a fond chuckle, and blushed a little.

"I know, but you see, Bayley's guy...well, he's pretty new to exploring his bi side, and having a third guy there might make it...you know...awkward for him."

Marek nodded. "I get it. I'll keep everyone out of that ring."

"Thanks." Kimber went to put away the supplies.

She didn't meet Seth at the airport, because Elias and Bayley's flight was due just before his, it made more sense for him to just ride with them. Their fans loved witnessing Seth and Kimber's emotional reunions at the airport, but they'd be disappointed this time. Instead, she spread a quilt on the front lawn in the shade and played with Johnny. She loved hearing him laugh and coo and seeing him smile, but she wasn't so hot on the hair and jewelry pulling, so she'd removed her piercings and put her hair up in a clip.

A black Hyundai Sonata pulled up the driveway and came to a stop beside them. Seth scrambled out of the backseat and dashed across the lawn to his wife and son. Kimber scooped up Johnny. "Daddy's home!" She said, and turned him to face Seth, who picked him up and hugged him.

Bayley and Elias came along behind him. "Sierra!" She called.

"Hotel," Kimber replied.

"India!" Seth chimed in, as he lifted Johnny up, making him laugh.

Everyone looked at Elias. "Uh..."

"Echo," Bayley whispered.

"Am I allowed-"

Seth laughed. "The Shield has gone NWO, everyone's a member. Especially you!" He kissed his smiling son on one plump cheek. "Meet Johnny," he told Bayley and Elias.

Bayley went to mushville, all soft eyes. "Oh, Seth, he looks just like you! Can I hold him?"

"Of course." He transferred Johnny to his best gal pal's arms.

"Hi, Johnny, I'm your aunt Bayley...Ow!" Bayley winced as Johnny grabbed one of her hoop earrings and gave a gusty tug and an excited coo. "Oh, no Johnny, don't do that...Ow!"

Everyone laughed as Kimber managed to keep her son from ripping her friend's ear off. "Johnny likes jewelry and hair...and beards!" She grabbed his hand before he could grab a handful of Elias' beard.

Seth reclaimed his son and hugged and kissed his wife. "I missed you."

"I missed you," Kimber replied.

A couple hours later, Kimber and Bayley were in the women's locker room at Seth's school, preparing for their Hardcore Wrestling Vixens _-_ esque match. It stirred a vague sense of deja vu in Kimber, taking her back to so many years ago, hurriedly getting dressed (or undressed) for "matches" with Raven, (who, unlike Kimber, had not used her indie ring name for the job, instead calling herself Midnight Angel), Barbie Dahl, Jyl Enhoff, Daytona Rose, Kitten Childs, Big Bunnie, and others. She sometimes wondered what became of the women of The New Sorority who hadn't gone on to wrestle.

"You know we'd be in _sooooo_ much trouble if anyone _in authority_ ever found out about this," Bayley said, dramatically as she adjusted her black thong in the mirror.

Kimber agreed, and sat down on a towel to lace up her Shield boots. "No one but the four of us is ever going to know about this," she said, and laughed. "No pictures, no video."

"I know, it's a shame," Bayley said, and pulled on her vest. "I'm going to remember this forever, when I beat you at your own game, _Britney Melrose._ "

Kimber fell right into character. "Oh is that so, _Davina Rose?"_ She rose to get right in her face, but she couldn't help smiling.

Bayley casually rested her forearms on Kimber's shoulders and kissed her. "Yes. I watched all the New Sorority stuff I could find. I do my homework well."

Kimber let her fingers slip over the front of Bayley's thin thong, finding the cleft between. "Yeah, and I can guess what you did while you watched." She tickled a little and Bayley moaned. Kimber stopped and slapped her ass.

"Ouch!" Bayley rubbed her red butt cheek.

"You ready?"

"All my life."

They linked hands and walked out of the locker room. Elias and Seth were sitting ringside on the small leather sofa that had been moved out of the office. It was amazing how fast the nuances of erotic wrestling came back to Kimber as she got into the ring the HWV way, facing away from her audience of two to make her ass the focus, leading leg over the second rope in front, extended pose bent forward and straddling the rope, a little wiggle, adjust the thong, and finally step through by gracefully extending the leg back, pivoting on the supporting foot to wind up facing Seth and Elias with arms raised, and an enigmatic, sexy smile. She struck a few poses, then sauntered off to her corner and began to warm up.

Bayley laughed. "I don't think I can duplicate that, but I'm going to try."

Kimber leaned casually against the turnbuckles and watched Bayley's sexy entrance. Due to her being taller than Kimber, she pulled it off with even more grace, not having to hold the rope down. Kimber smiled and clapped as she faced, and flashed, their men.

"Nice," she said, lecherously in imitation of the ginger cop on _South Park._ "Now get over here. It's time for the tradition of the frisk."

"Damn it, start playing with each other!" Bayley ordered Seth and Elias and turned to face Kimber. "We doing this or what?"

Kimber smiled. "Yeah, we're going to do it alright," she said, as she began patting Bayley down, starting by undoing her tactical vest and gently stroking her breasts. She ran her fingers over her nipples slowly, and a soft moan escaped Bayley's lips. Kimber let her hands go up, to check Bayley's hair, then let one hand drop down into her thong, while the other seized a handful of her opponent's smooth, dark tresses. She pulled her in for a rough kiss, which Bayley reciprocated, and Kimber broke, releasing her with a shove and a haughty laugh. It was so automatic, her character in the New Sorority had been that of a haughty punk princess, and she slipped it on as easily as she'd ever slipped on any gimmick, it was one of her talents that made her a great entertainer, and she knew it.

"Now you gotta do me," Kimber told her, and spread her arms. She slid her eyes over to the men on the leather couch, they were very close together, and Seth was stroking Elias' thigh, but both were staring rapt at the action in the ring. Bayley did not fail to give them that, and began her pat down of Kimber, starting with her hair, which gave Kimber goosebumps, and hard nipples. Upon discovering the hard nipples, Bayley smiled.

"You filthy girl. All turned on because you're about to get your ass kicked." She thrust two fingers down Kimber's thong and rubbed her button. Kimber moaned, and bucked against her hand. She saw the guys shift slightly, Seth was rubbing himself through his jeans, and Elias was stroking his thigh and kissing his neck.

"Look at the boys," she whispered to her opponent.

"Oh fuck... I just realized this is the hottest thing ever, and we won't really get to see it."

Kimber smiled. "Rest holds. Lots of rest holds."

Bayley was staring at the boys, and playing her heel character, Kimber took advantage of her distraction, and quickly had her in a headlock. Bayley went with her, backwards into the corner nearest to the guys. She jammed her knee into Bayley's crotch and wiggled it, laughing haughtily while Bayley moaned. "Yeah, you like that, you filthy slut."

Bayley grabbed Kimber's breasts, fondled them, then shoved her backwards. Kimber cried out and oversold, as anything involving female parts should be. She rolled and landed squatting in the ring, and glanced over at the guys again. They were kissing, and Elias' hand had replaced Seth's, and Seth's hand was now busy caressing Elias' bulge. "Time for a rest hold," she told her opponent, after getting on her feet and locking back up with Bayley.

"I know just the one," Bayley said. "That titty-grab camel clutch."

"Sexy transition," Kimber suggested. "Push me into the ropes, slap me in the face, and rip my vest off. Then throw me down."

They completed the moveset, leaving Kimber lying prone on the canvas, her moans and whimpers making her seem somewhere between pleasure and pain. Bayley kicked her in the ass and punctuated it with a haughty little laugh of her own. Kimber gave a sexy groan and allowed Bayley to put her in the clutch, holding underneath her breasts rather than her neck or chin, even as she shook her head and cried "No" over and over even though her arms were free and there were a million ways to break that hold.

But of course, the point was to watch the guys. Seth was sucking Elias off, and jacking himself at the same time. Elias' hand was in Seth's hair, but he wasn't pushing his head down, just relaxing and sighing his approval as he watched his girlfriend torture her opponent's nipples. "Mmmmph...that is fucking hot!" Bayley declared lustily, over Kimber's dramatic moans and cries.

Kimber had to agree her husband looked really sexy with a dick in his mouth, and if how she'd seen Dean, and now Elias, react was any indication, he was damn good at sucking dick. But, she couldn't think about it too long, after all, she was supposed to be having a match (of sorts). She powered up out of the hold and got on her feet, but Bayley was still holding on, and began to grind on her lewdly. "Samoan drop," Kimber told her, and Bayley adjusted for the move. Before she could recover, Kimber was sitting (and grinding) on her face while beneath her, Bayley feigned discomfort and embarrassment. Smiling Kimber reached around to treat her friend to a nice clit rub before allowing her to shove her off.

"Much as I love your pussy in my face, I can't see a damn thing that way!" Bayley complained. Kimber kipped up and smiled at her. "Let's lock it up again."

But Bayley was staring at the guys. "Like hell, I'm calling time out. I want to watch Seth take that load."

"I'd rather watch him take it in the ass, but okay, let's take a break."

Bayley giggled. "Damn, girl, you're filthy!

"And damn proud of it." She took two bottles of water from the apron and handed one to Bayley, and put on her glasses. "He looks close," she told Bayley.

She nodded in agreement. "He is. Your guy going to swallow it?"

Kimber laughed and leaned against the ropes. "Probably." Elias was moving his hips now, fucking her husband's face, and she could hear his little cries of delight caught in his throat in between the bigger man's growls of pleasure. "Now that's hot."

"He's going to bust," Bayley whispered, knowingly. "He's trying to hold back."

Elias was panting now, and thrust himself into Seth's mouth one last time. "Aw...fuck yeah!"

Kimber again took advantage of her opponent's distraction and seized her by the back of her thong to throw her down. The thin garment ripped and slipped away, but Bayley still went along with the move, and Kimber was on her face again in a moment, this time pinning her arms with her legs. She dry humped her face, and played with her very wet pussy at the same time. Beneath her, Bayley stopped her fake protesting, so she lifted her hips a bit, and pulled her thong to the side. "Good girl," she said, and bent down to work her tongue around and over Bayley's rock hard clit. Beneath her, Bayley began doing the same, and she brought Kimber to the edge so fast and suddenly with her fast-moving tongue that it made any other oral pleasure she'd ever gotten seem like crap. She wanted to tell her to stop, to prolong the bliss, but all she could do was helplessly gasp "Bayley" over and over again as the pleasure burst into an orgasm so forceful she saw a million stars. It was so intense her skin was tingling in the afterglow, her face resting on her lover's sweet, freshly-shaved pussy. She sighed with contentment, and looked over to see Seth had shot his load all over himself, and Elias looked as though he was contemplating tasting some of it.

"My shoulders have been on the mat a hell of a lot longer than three seconds," Bayley said, from beneath her.

"Face sitting doesn't usually count as a pin in this kind of wrestling..." Kimber drawled, through a mouth frozen in sex smile.

"Still, my arms are falling asleep."

"Ooops, sorry." Kimber rolled off of her, and gave her pussy another kiss. She knew she should continue, and make Bayley cum, too, but she was so indescribably spent.

But, Bayley had another idea, anyway. "I win," she declared.

"What do you mean you win? We didn't stipulate that this was a first-cum match."

Bayley gave her a sexy smile. "I thought it was implied. Get out of the ring. I have won the right to choose my mate. Get over here!" She ordered her boyfriend.

Kimber smiled. "Go get him, tiger," she said, and slapped Bayley on the ass on her way out of the ring. She picked up a bottle of lube and sat down on the couch beside her husband, who was wiping the cum off his body with a handy towel. "Shall we shower?" She asked.

Seth nodded, and they got up.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Bayley asked. She was tying Elias' wrists to the middle rope using his own wrist scarves. He was all smiles, and hard as a rock again.

"We losers are hitting the showers," Kimber said.

"Oh no you're not. You're going to sit back down and watch me fuck this boy here... You don't mind if I fuck in your ring, do you, Seth?"

Seth laughed, and sat back down. "Have at it."


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59 – _Survivor Series_ Surprise**

The pilot for the reality show was filmed while Seth, Kimber, and Johnny visited Dean, Renee, and Justin in Las Vegas. In it, Dean had taken Kimber to work out under the brutal desert sun while Renee and Seth took the babies to an infant swim class. The show didn't have a name yet, there were several up for consideration, most of which were awful. The one Kimber liked best, _Three in Town,_ wasn't a front-runner with the higher ups, since it didn't mention either of their names.

Kimber found out three weeks before the event that she would be pulling double-duty at _Survivor Series_ , which she'd missed entirely last year. She always thought the _RAW vs. Smackdown_ storyline of the show was one of the best each year during a brand split, and now she was finally a part of it, a very big part. She was putting her title on the line in a rematch with Alexa, then later was on the _RAW_ team for the women's elimination match. So far, she was booked to not only retain her title, but also be the sole survivor. It was a huge, huge push, and she knew her agreement to do the reality show had been rewarded, if they didn't fuck her over at the last minute. As much as she believed Hunter and Stephanie valued her, she did not trust Vince, and it was he who had the final say.

So, on the Tuesday before the pay per view, Kimber and Bayley, clad in jeans and their half- _RAW_ half-Shield t-shirts converted into halter tops, led a sea of red-shirted women into the ring during the opening promo of _Smackdown,_ which had the entire female roster out there, led by their latest champion Charlotte, assuring the fans that _Smackdown_ would be the dominant brand on Sunday. Bayley went right after the champion, her opponent for her _Survivor Series_ match. Alexa turned to flee from Kimber, right into the Riott Squad. A melee, of course, erupted. Later, during the main event, the Shield boys led a similar charge of _RAW_ men, with similar results. Because _Smackdown_ had not invaded _RAW, RAW_ was looking strong going into the event.

But the results were not in _RAW_ 's favor, as they had been in years past. Kimber and Dean were the only members of the Shield to be victorious at the show, Kimber twice, and Dean once, alongside Drew McIntyre, two unlikely _RAW_ survivors in the men's elimination match. Seth lost his match, but not his title, as it wasn't on the line, same with Roman and Bayley. And they weren't the only ones. The final tally was 4-8, _Smackdown_ had won the war.

Kimber just hoped the show had done good in the ratings. Lately, both _RAW_ and _Smackdown_ had been failing there, though _RAW's_ descent was more drastic, and troubling. As someone who knew the business completely, it was easy enough for her to see why. The competition from the NFL and NBA was only a fraction of it. It came down to having had no real competition from other wrestling promotions in nearly twenty years. Led to lazy booking and senseless storylines that were often dropped without notice. Despite the quality of the ring work being more impressive than it had ever been before, WWE was now a shit product and people were turning away. Vince was panicking, often re-writing _RAW_ at the last minute, even some segments mere minutes before they were to go on air. And Vince was out of touch as far as what people found entertaining. Everyone looked stupid as a result, and morale in the locker room was getting pretty low.

But none of that mattered tonight, another big show was in the books and it was time to celebrate. And, because nobody had to travel that night, _RAW_ being in the same arena, everyone could party big. It was a classy party, too, so Kimber dressed for the occasion in a little black tube dress, her IC title over one shoulder and Seth wore a very stylish black suit. They found a quiet booth and sat down across from Bayley and Elias and began to drink.

Kimber didn't have much, at least not nearly as much as Seth did, but she felt really fucked up and really horny and knew someone had likely slipped something into the communal punch bowl she'd gotten her drinks from. At least she didn't feel sick. And, she wasn't so fucked up that she couldn't look out for her extremely intoxicated husband, whose lap she was sitting in. His hard on was pressed against her ass. He hadn't had the punch, but Bayley and Elias had, and were all over each other, and seemingly unaware that they were in public, or in the company of another couple. But nobody noticed, even when Elias freed his girlfriend's breasts and began sucking them.

"Um, hey, guys. It might be time to...you know...go back to your room," Kimber suggested.

Seth nudged her. "Off. I can't hold this piss any longer."

Kimber slid off and on to the bench. "We need to get them upstairs."

Seth apparently noticed the other couple for the first time. "Oh fuck." He got up and began pulling Elias out of the booth. "C'mon, bro, you can't do that here." He got the other man out, and on his feet, and Kimber did the same with Bayley, after fixing her dress.

"What am I going to do with you?" She asked, with a sigh, as she supported her fucked up friend. Bayley just laughed.

"We need to stop at the restrooms," Seth said, as he and Kimber began leading Elias and Bayley out.

"I'm good," Elias drawled.

"I'm not," Seth snapped. "Come on, hurry up."

There was a line for the men's room. "Fuck _me!"_ Seth bit his lip and fidgeted. "Why the fuck does there have to be a huge fucking line every single time I really, really, really need to piss? Fuck me!" He looked around and saw the ladies' room had no line and pointed it out to Kimber. "Go in and see if anyone in there minds if I come in and use it real quick."

Kimber laughed. "Are you serious?"

Seth didn't laugh. "Yes, I'm fucking serious. I'm about to piss my new suit!"

Kimber guided Bayley into the bathroom and started asking if anyone minded if her husband came in, but before she knew it, Seth barged past her with Elias, mumbling apologies to the women in the bathroom, including Stephanie, who just laughed at him. Bayley reached out and grabbed Elias, and Kimber held the stall door closed for her husband, because he hadn't taken the time to latch it.

"Are we in a bathroom?" Elias asked as he looked around, and didn't wait for an answer. "Thank god." He turned and started pissing in a sink.

It got a mixed reaction from the women, some like Bayley and Stephanie laughed, while others like Zelina and Sonya walked out in disgust, and Kimber wanted to yell at him and guide him to a toilet, but knew that if she interrupted him, he'd likely piss on the floor or worse, on her. So all she could do was turn away and shake her head.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked her husband on the other side of the door. He replied that he was, but she could tell he was lying. He'd been in there a long time. Long enough for Elias to finish pissing in the sink and begin making out hot and heavy with Bayley again. "Fuck, guys! Do I have to hose you down like a couple of dogs?"

Seth rattled the door and Kimber let it go and hurried over to the couple to insert herself between them. "Now now, kids. No more hanky panky until we get upstairs, okay? Elias, apologize to the ladies and rinse that sink."

"Huh?" Elias mumbled, and leaned heavily against Seth, who looked embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"Oh, fuck it." Kimber rinsed out the sink herself and led her troops out and to the elevators. Just before the doors closed, she caught sight of some paramedics running in. She automatically thrust her hand out, but she wasn't close enough to prevent the door from closing. "Wonder what that's about."

"The spiked punch," Seth replied, with a sigh. "I'd bet all my worldly goods...that we'll be dropped first thing we get to the arena tomorrow..." In addition to being very drunk, her husband was also giving off some defeated vibes.

"I drank the punch. I didn't know..." Kimber said, and looked around. She couldn't shake the sensation that there was a fifth person in the elevator. "I think it's molly. I didn't have too much of it, I'm fucked up, but not that fucked up."

She and her husband settled their friends in their room, and headed down to their own. "I want to go back down there, see what's going on," Kimber said.

Seth was getting undressed. "I'm not going back. I need to take a shower."

Kimber added everything up, looked at him in his boxer briefs and realized he'd pissed himself. She smiled, and groped his wet crotch. "At least you wore a black suit."

"Yeah, my brand new Armani suit. I...I don't know how I'm going to, you know, face everybody tomorrow. And, we left our props down there, fuck me."

"I'll get them. And, I'm sure with this...punch fiasco you won't face any repercussions for invading the ladies' room. I don't even think Elias will, and he pissed in the sink, right in front of Stephanie. I think she had the punch, too." She hugged her husband tight and felt the wetness from his boxer briefs soak into her dress. She wanted to fuck him...tenderly. Make sweet love. She leaned up to kiss him, but he still seemed uneasy. "Everything will be fine, darling." She stroked his hair, and kissed his neck.

"I think I left a trail of piss."

"But nobody noticed. It's our little secret."

Seth finally smiled, and responded to his wife's affections. But, the romance was soon interrupted by Alexa's theme. Her phone. It had to be important. "Hey girl."

"I...I have your title, and Seth's things, too." Alexa sounded like she'd been crying.

"Where are you? I'll come get them."

"Room..." Alexa sniffled and cleared her throat. "Room three-thirteen."

"I'll be right there, I'm in three-oh-two. See you soon." She turned to her husband. "Alexa. She picked up our things after we left, so I'm heading over to get them. I might be awhile, she seemed upset." She kissed her guy, and headed out down the hall, which seemed a lot longer than it really was.

Alexa must have been waiting for her right by the door, because she opened it immediately to Kimber's knocks. And, she was crying. Her makeup was a mess, her hair a wreck. She motioned for Kimber to come in, and she did. She could see her title and Seth's titles and briefcase on the bed, but they weren't her concern. She opened her arms, and Alexa turned into them with a sob. Kimber stroked her blonde and pink hair and let her cry and mumble before she finally took a break to blow her nose.

"Please tell me what's going on."

"I'm so fucked. So, so fucked." Alexa sat down on the bed and buried her head in her hands.

Kimber sat down in the chair across from her. "What do you mean?"

"The fucking punch. Everybody thinks I'm the one who tampered with it, because of that time I tried to slip laxative in your drink." Alexa gave her an apologetic glance, locking her sapphire eyes with Kimber's hazel ones. "I'm still sorry for that."

Kimber clasped Alexa's hands in her own. "Water under the bridge. Did you have any of the punch?"

"No. I've...I've been sober for about three months now." Alexa helplessly smiled with pride.

"That's wonderful! Congratulations!" Kimber gave her a hug. She hadn't known Alexa had struggled with addiction. "And a doubly-good thing, seeing as we'll all likely be drug tested first thing we get to the arena tomorrow."

"Did you drink any of it?"

"Just a little. Me and Roman are the responsible ones in the Shield." Kimber chuckled. "I'm messed up, but not as messed up as some, like Bayley and Elias. Or whoever the paramedics came for."

Alexa wiped her eyes. "I don't know, everyone was so messed up, and those who weren't were almost literally up in arms. I didn't even want to go, but felt I should because I'm on my last chance... When I got this job, my dad told me not to make enemies and now that's all I have-" She was interrupted by her phone, and Kimber's, too. Kimber knew without looking that they were the same message, from WWE, and Alexa read hers somewhat aloud. "All _RAW, Smackdown,_ and _205 Live_ talent are required to report to the arena tomorrow at nine AM for a special meeting... Any talent not appearing will be subject to immediate suspension not to exceed ninety days and may result in the release of said talent... They're conducting an internal investigation."

"Which will clear you," Kimber soothed, with a gentle smile.

"I don't even want to go tomorrow. Probably get jumped on the way in."

"No you won't, because I won't let it happen. Seth and I will meet you here tomorrow, and we'll drive over together. I believe you didn't lace the punch."

"Oh, Kimber, thank you!" Alexa cried with relief and hugged her again, and to Kimber's surprise, she began to kiss her neck.

The drug made her body respond, but because she wasn't too messed up, her mind overrode it, and she gently pulled away. "I'm married."

Alexa played with a lock of Kimber's hair. "I know. But I thought you guys had an open marriage."

"We do, but we also have an agreement that we won't see anyone else without asking the other if they're okay with it first. And, to be honest, with our history, I don't know if I'd feel comfortable playing with you."

"I don't want to play with you." She dropped to her knees before Kimber, head bowed. "I want you to be my Mistress, my Goddess. I want to serve you. I want to be your Alexa, I want you to make me your whore, your toy, your dog, your slave in every way."

Kimber had no idea what to say. "I need to think about it, and talk to Seth. Okay?" She patted Alexa on the head, and the smaller woman nodded


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60 – Rewriting the Show**

The drug tests outta nowhere caught a lot of people, but Seth and Alexa were among the clean. Kimber, Bayley, and Elias, like everyone else who drank the punch, tested positive for amphetamines, and her piss, like the others, was subjected to further testing to determine what the drug was, though it was pretty agreed-upon that it had been what she'd assumed, MDMA. Roman tested positive for weed and amphetamines, and Dean tested positive for weed. Weed was just a fine, no suspension, but anything else was an automatic suspension, unless it was proven the positive test was caused by the spiked punch. She had heard a few people were already suspended for testing positive for opiates and coke. But, no one was suspended for failing to show up that morning, no matter what shape they were in. Kimber was feeling pretty rough; perpetually nauseated but unable to vomit, very little energy, and she was just a little down in the dumps. She was not looking forward to getting in the ring tonight, or even on camera. But, all around her, people were in worse shape. Just over half of those at the party had had varying amounts of the punch, and some of them had never taken that drug before. Kimber would never forget her first molly hangover, it had been the worst she'd ever felt in her entire life, physically and mentally, and it had lasted for days. That alone had made her decide never to touch the stuff again, and she hadn't, until last night. Thank goodness she didn't drink much.

Even though Alexa was at her side most of the day, except for when each of them was taken to a room for questioning about last night's events, it was as if the intimacy the night before may never have happened, and Kimber began to wonder if the whole scenario had been the result of a drug-fueled brain. Of course, her husband was present on her other side, and when it was his turn to be interviewed, Alexa's face lit up with hope right away.

"I haven't told him yet," she said. "That molly... My brain is like...a tempest. Thinking hurts." Kimber rubbed her temples and moaned. "Fuck, I just want to...lie down."

"I understand, I've been there. I wonder how they'll do the show tonight, with so many people so laid up."

Kimber wanted to say she didn't give a fuck how they'd do the show tonight, but her throbbing brain wouldn't form the sentence. "Oh... I don't know..." She yawned and made an attempt to get comfortable in the hard plastic chair.

"Hey, why don't you find someplace to lie down?" Alexa suggested. "Sleep until they let us know what's going on."

Kimber thought that sounded wonderful and was about to say so when a doctor came over and asked if either of them would like IV fluids. That sounded even better. She knew she was dehydrated, with her stomach constantly swirling, she'd dared not eat and had had very little water. She let the doctor lead her, along with Mustafa, Sarah, and Bo to the trainers' room. She was asleep on the table before the needle went in.

When she finally awoke, she saw the bandage on her arm, and that her fellow IV receivers had changed to Liv, Paige, and Buddy. She sat up and rubbed the sand out of her eyes, likely her makeup, too, and realized she felt a little better.

"Finally, you're awake and we can talk!" Buddy said.

"I can't believe a quarter of the roster is suspended!" Paige exclaimed.

"What?" Kimber asked.

"They posted the suspensions online," Buddy told her.

She went through her phone as she left the room, and the first one she saw was the most shocking of them all. _Roman Reigns Suspended 60 Days for 2_ _nd_ _violation of WWE's Wellness Program._ Oddly, what she felt was relief. Not because she wasn't included among the suspended, not because she didn't like Roman, but because now the Shield could finally die. Roman hadn't had the punch, he'd had something else, and because of it, she was free. Her vision blurred, and she realized she was crying.

"There you are." Seth was suddenly there with a sandwich on a paper plate. He set it on a cart and hugged her.

"It's over..."

Seth nodded. "Tonight the Shield implodes. Thank god."

"Fuck yes," Kimber agreed, and wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her hoodie.

"Then why are you crying? This is a happy moment, my love."

"Oh, I don't know... Probably because my brain is just shit right now."

He handed her the plate. "I was just about to come wake you up because you need to eat. It's turkey and avocado."

She was suddenly ravenous, and sat down on the floor with the plate in her lap. "How's the split going to go down?"

Her husband shrugged. "No clue, due to all the suspensions, the whole show's gotta be rewritten. I feel bad about Roman getting busted, but fuck, I'm just so relieved that after tonight I'll never have to put on a tactical vest ever again. You can still wear one, though, wink wink."

Kimber smiled. "Just not in the ring, darling... Never again. Though we really can't ever say never, not in WWE."

Seth snorted. "Ain't it the truth."

 _RAW_ opened with a promo by Hunter, the focus being on Roman's suspension, and resulting vacancy of the Universal title. It had been decided there would be a five-man ladder match at next month's _TLC_ to crown a new champion. The contenders were Drew, Baron, Miz, Dean, and one to be determined after a battle royal featuring wrestlers from _RAW, Smackdown,_ and _205 Live._ That battle royal followed the promo and was won by Kevin Owens, and also featured the first signs of tension in the Shield, when Seth's distraction caused Dean's elimination and they began to argue on the way back up the ramp. Backstage segments later in the night would show them still simmering, but eventually seeming to have worked it out by the time they had to defend their tag titles against the B Team. But, they had not worked it out, and it showed in the match, particularly when they lost.

Alexa came over from _Smackdown_ and challenged Bayley to put her title on the line in the main event, and Bayley agreed, because she was a fighting champion. And Kimber, of course, agreed to be there because, well, Shield sisters forever. She knew how much of a struggle it was for Bayley not to show how terrible she felt that night. And, it wasn't just the hangover. She was going to lose her title. Kimber could see that really upset her, even though it was the necessary catalyst to bring an end to the Shield.

For what she hoped was the last time, Kimber walked out with Bayley to the Shield theme. Bayley's miserable condition didn't show at all, Alexa actually carried most of the match, and Kimber used all of her energy cheering on her Shield sister and hyping up the crowd. It was a great main event match. Just when both women were spent, enter Miss Money in the Bank, Nia. Immediately, Kimber ran to cut her off on the ramp, only to get taken down by a briefcase shot to the head. Nia then picked her up and threw her off the stage on top of a table, which mercifully broke. Then, a few minutes of lying with her eyes closed, panting before the _Nia Jax is cashing in her Money in the Bank contract! This match is now a triple-threat!_ announcement.

Then, she began her slow recovery, and lurch down to the ring, where Alexa was lying motionless, and Nia was standing and grinning, a limp Bayley across her shoulders. Samoan drop and she dragged Bayley beside Alexa, and pinned them both. After watching her celebration in disbelief and disappointment in her failure, and Alexa had slipped out of the ring, she entered it and went to Bayley, who shoved her away. _Leave me alone!_ Kimber of course, tried to ease things, it hadn't been her fault, after all, but Bayley was pissed, and before long, they were in each others faces. Dean and Seth ran down to break it up, and just when it seemed the Shield was intact, Dean kicked Seth in the gut and began beating him down. Instantly, Bayley was doing the same to Kimber. Dean and Bayley walked off, though not together, after leaving the Rollinses broken in the ring and squeezing hands, not out of affection, but giving that timeless signal to each other that they weren't hurt. When the show was off the air, they lumbered out together, and received praise for their performances, along with Dean, Bayley, Nia, and Alexa.

And just like that, it was mercifully over. Never again would she have to travel with a group, except when WWE went abroad. Never again would she have to travel with annoying Dean, moody Bayley, or everyone's unasked-for big brother, Roman. Two compelling story lines had been born from one, and she guessed she might be dropping her title to Bayley at _TLC._

She talked about it with Seth in their hotel bed. "I wonder what they have for me beyond that. You know, if they don't have anything, I could ask for a year off, and we could have another baby. Brynn, I mean, Kira, won't be ready for the main roster until at least then. And hell, when I come back, maybe she can debut alongside me, as a tag team."

He smiled, and leaned down to kiss her forehead, the only part of her face he could reach as she was snuggled up on his chest. "A perfect world... You know I can't wait to add to our family, but maybe we're better off waiting until your contract's up. Another year away means they'll tack another year on and you'll never get out."

"I'll fight it if I have to. I never stopped working for them the whole time I was on maternity leave, hell, I gave birth on camera, and I'm sure it wouldn't be any different with any subsequent leave. And _you_ want to quit WWE?"

Seth took a deep breath. "Sometimes I do, yeah. Some of my guys, you know, from ROH, have been talking about starting their own promotion. I don't know how serious they are about it, but it really makes me wish I had more options."

Kimber nodded. "It would be nice to have some more time at home. Thank goodness we're heading there tomorrow." She was feeling more clear-headed now, and she remembered what had happened last night, and Alexa's careful hope earlier today. "Alexa came on to me."

"You're kidding," Seth said.

"Well, it was more like she practically begged me. She wants me to be her Domme and do terrible things to her."

"Really?"

"I don't know what to think, or how I should feel about this. It took us a year and a half to become friends."

Seth snugged her. "I still don't know how you were able to do that."

"It's the struggles we face and conquer that make us grow stronger, better. If I was still afraid of her, or bitter towards her, I would take her up on her offer, make her life a living hell at her own request out of sheer revenge. But, as it is, I don't know if I've got it in me to do her the way she did me."

"I know that if I were in your place, knowing where you're coming from and all, I think I'd have her naked, collared and leashed, and on her knees in ninety seconds or less, and I'd whip her with a wet towel and remind her that this is what she asked for, and demand she thank me."

"Who knew you were so sadistic?" Kimber asked, coyly, and kissed his hairy chest.

"So what are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know yet. Maybe I'll find a moment of quiet over the holidays to think about it."

"I wouldn't count on that, my love," Seth said.

Kimber suddenly remembered she was hosting Thanksgiving this year, and the show would be filming it. Not her idea, the producers'. "Good point. What do you say we take advantage of our last night alone?"

"I was just about to say something along those lines." Seth chuckled, and pulled her all the way on top of him.

Kimber straddled his hips and struck a sexy pose. She licked her fingers, then slipped them around her already-hard clit. "Mmmmm..."

"Oh fuck..." Seth reached around in an attempt to grab his dick, which was pressed between his wife's ass.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kimber grabbed his wrists. He didn't fight her, he allowed her to pin his arms to the bed with her knees as she slid her body up his chest, almost sitting on his face. His tongue darted out, but she was too far away, and she laughed. "I don't think so. I can touch, you can't." She touched herself again, to make the point clear.

"Not fair," Seth protested, though she knew he loved to cede control to her.

"Do I need to find some tools with which to restrain you?" Kimber threatened.

"Um, maybe. I know we're limited though..."

Kimber rose. "I'll channel my inner MacGyver. Don't move." She pondered their things, and soon had her husband retrained on the bed, their titles binding his legs, hands tied together above his head with his own tie, and a pair of her dirty gym leggings keeping him linked to the lamp above the bed. She smiled as she admired her handiwork, and couldn't help but snap a pic of it. Seth was doing jumping jacks with his cock, and Kimber slapped it. "Stop that! You can't cum hands-free, either. Not until I say you can."

She straddled his chest again, and resumed playing with herself. Seth whined in frustrated desire. "Shut up!" She ordered, and slid down his body, leaving a trail of girl-juices. She ran her fingers through them, and inserted them in her husband's mouth. He eagerly sucked and licked them. "Good boy," she praised, and tenderly caressed his handsome face before settling down on his cock, but she did not insert it. Instead, she dry-humped it (though dry wouldn't really be the proper word, considering how juicy she was, and the amount of precum he was leaking steadily) enthusiastically, pleasuring herself and torturing him.

"Please, Mistress," Seth begged. "Let me put it in, please!"

"Hmmmm..." Kimber pondered, as she stopped grinding. "No, I don't think so." She resumed her activity, and when her pleasure became almost too much to bear, she shifted her hips and took in just the head of Seth's huge cock. Naturally, he wanted more, and thrust his hips, causing Kimber to rise up on her knees, and lean forward, finger in his face. "No, Seth! That's a bad boy! You are to lie perfectly still as I use you to pleasure myself. And remember, darling, no cumming."

"Yes, Mistress," Seth replied with a gasp as his wife settled back down on to his manhood.

Again, she did not take it in all the way, only sliding up and down the first quarter as she exaggerated the pleasure it was giving her in order to torture him. She didn't need to embellish much, as she was horny as hell and realized she was torturing herself, too, in trying to ride the edge, and she really should cum soon anyway, because it was late, and they had an early flight to catch. So, she let herself go, her tight pussy squeezing and pulling, and Seth gasped and tensed and bit his lip.

"Please Mistress! Please let me cum! I can't hold off!"

Even though she'd not gotten to enjoy the peace of the afterglow, she hopped off her man, and squeezed his dick the same way she'd seen him do to stave off orgasm. The tiniest spurt of jiz came out. "Don't even think about it, boy!"

"No, Ma'am..." Seth panted, and finally relaxed. So did his cock, just a little.

"Good boy." Kimber unsnapped the belts from his legs, and he allowed her to position him. She squeezed a generous amount of lube into her hand, and let it slide up to her first and middle fingers before stroking his crack open, and gently tickling his tight ass. His cock sprang back to its throbbing glory, and he moaned helplessly when she penetrated him and began opening him up. "My boy likes that, doesn't he?"

"Mmmmm, oh yes, Ma'am."

Kimber slipped two more fingers in. Seth moaned, and tensed again as she began to work him. "Relax, darling," she whispered.

"I can't...If...If I let myself go..." He panted.

Kimber removed her hand. She could see his balls were tight, his dick twitching and oozing more precum into his dark treasure trail. "Oh, you're so close, aren't you?"

"Uh huh..."

Kimber reinserted her fingers, and this time, deliberately rubbed his prostate. "No no no..." Seth moaned, more to his body than to her, and she withdrew again.

"Oh please, Mistress! Please let me cum!"

She smiled again. "No, honey, not yet." She penetrated him again. Withdrew again. Over and over until her husband's pleas became tearful. She leaned up to wipe the tears away. "Poor thing. You really need to cum don't you?"

Seth sniffled. "Yes, Ma'am, please, Ma'am, it hurts..."

His tears made her want to relent, and allow him release, but she had a better idea. "No, I don't think so..." She penetrated him yet again, and this time, when she reached his prostate, she didn't stop, no matter how much he begged her to, because he couldn't stand it, and before long, his ass was flexing around her hand, and huge spurts of cum were flying from his dick. She scooped it off his belly and chest with her fingers and made him eat it. Though he did, eagerly, he could see his Mistress was still displeased as she released him from his bondage.

"You filthy boy," she scolded, "cumming without my explicit permission. I am very disappointed, Seth. You were a bad boy, and now you must be punished." She picked up his hair brush, and patted her knees.

"Yes Ma'am," Seth replied, with false reluctance, for he loved spankings, and laid prone across her legs to receive his punishment.


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61 – Kimber's Thanksgiving**

Kimber had never hosted a holiday before, and she had the added pressure of doing so in front of the cameras. The cameras were there from the moment they got home, to capture Seth and Kimber's reunion with Johnny, who was dropped off by Seth's parents, and later, after Seth left for the gym, because no days off, the arrival of Kira (Kimber had practiced her sister's ring name over and over, because she knew she couldn't slip during the show) and Dolph in a rental car. Kira had promised to help her sister with planning and cooking the meal, and Kimber was eager for her help, but first she had to sit down and do the "Hi, I'm Kira" thing for the cameras, before Kimber could even show her and Dolph to the guest room! With Johnny in her arms, she watched her sister's interview from behind the cameras, and my, had she come far in the last eleven months. Not a hint of bashfulness remained, and she only blushed when Dolph appeared and sat down beside her, because she loved him. And, to Kimber, it looked like he loved her sister, too. She smiled with approval, and Johnny let out an excited squeal and kick out of nowhere, prompting Kimber to hurry out of the room and get him into the den, where he could get on the play and she could get on her laptop to search for recipes. Soon, Kira came to help, and while Johnny crawled around with patient Paulie lumbering after him, they put together a huge spread of updated versions of traditional dishes, like sweet potatoes that could be a dessert and a cheddar, broccoli, and cauliflower bake rather than green bean casserole, which the sisters had always hated anyway. Kimber was most nervous about the turkey, and when Dolph joined them, he suggested deep frying.

"I don't think we have a turkey fryer, though maybe we do, I'm not really sure what they look like."

Kira laughed. "Kimber! It's like big enough to fit a huge turkey in, you would have seen it by now."

"Eh, that sounds like man stuff, and I don't really notice those things," Kimber said. "I'll ask the hubby when he gets home."

"Anyway," Dolph continued, "it's really fucking good. Like almost as good as sex. You can even inject it with marinade to give it flavor before you drop it in."

"Great, you and Seth can handle that," Kimber told him.

"No problem, I got this," Dolph told her.

"Can you help us with all this shopping, too?" Kira asked, and dangled the long list for the benefit of the cameras.

Dolph kissed her. "Of course. Want to go right now?"

Kimber didn't really want to, but she agreed, because well, git-er-done. "Sure, I'll get Johnny ready."

At the grocery store, Kimber, with Johnny strapped to her chest, felt like a third wheel. Dolph pushed the cart while Kira added items to it. They stopped several times to cuddle and kiss, and Kimber was reminded of Seth and herself, back during her maternity leave, and remembered telling her sister that every time Seth came home, it was like they were falling in love all over again. She was so happy that Kira and Dolph had those same special feelings for each other, and happy that this stupid show which forced her to host Thanksgiving was giving Kira a lot of camera time.

At least it wasn't going to be a huge Thanksgiving. She'd considered inviting Seth's students, but that would have been too many people to seat. Instead, it was just her trio, her parents, her in-laws, and the lovebirds for the mid-afternoon meal, and the students were welcome to drop in for coffee and dessert at their leisure from six to nine.

Lost in her thoughts, she almost walked right into Dolph, he and Kira had stopped again and were kissing. Kimber snapped a pic of the very tender moment, meaning to send it to her sister later.

Two days later an exhausted, but very proud Kimber sat down at the big dining room table between her husband and her sister. Kira was just as tired, both of them had been up since 3:30 to prepare this very special meal. But she, too, couldn't seem to stop smiling as everyone complimented the spread of food. Seth, who'd begun drinking with Dolph around noon, was careful not to overdo it in front of the cameras, and seemed sober enough when poured everyone a glass of champagne, then offered a toast. "I want to first of all thank the two amazing ladies to my left, the love of my life and my wonderful sister in-law, for making all of this food. I know you don't like to cook, my love."

General laughter. "No, I do not. And Kira did most of it, anyway," Kimber replied.

"Oh, stop, no I didn't. I just did the casserole, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and the pies."

"And Dolph fried the turkey, so I guess all I did was set the table," Kimber said, and brought more laughter.

"That's more than I did," Seth said. "But thank you, Kimber, Kira, and Dolph for preparing this...feast. Everything looks delectable. And Gamma, Pops, Papa Johnny, and Nannie, thank you for being here with us today."

Everyone clinked glasses, Johnny let out an excited yell and hearty laugh at the sound, and everyone began filling their plates. After everyone had grabbed their first helpings, Dolph clinked on his glass again.

"There's a Thanksgiving tradition in my family, where we go around the table and talk about what we're thankful for during the past year, and if you all are game, I'd like to do that."

Everyone agreed, so Dolph tapped Kira beside him to start. She smiled lovingly at him, then at everyone else. "Honestly, I don't even know where to begin. So many things have changed since last Thanksgiving, and they're all good changes, no, incredible changes. I became an aunt. I moved to Florida and found a new career. I'm in the best shape of my life, and I'm beautiful... I'm finally...beautiful." Kira sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I'm crying because I'm so happy. Meeting Dolph at my sister's wedding changed _everything_ for me, and that's what I'm most thankful for. If..." She turned to Dolph. "If I hadn't met you...I don't want to think about where I'd be today if I hadn't."

The sheer emotion of her sister's speech had Kimber's eyes filling and lower lip trembling, especially when Dolph had to wipe his eyes as well, when he pulled Kira close and murmured that he loved her. But, it was her turn to say what she was most thankful for. She sniffled and cleared her throat. "That's going to be hard to follow up. I love you, sis." She stopped and hugged Kira. "Anyway, I'm going to keep this short because I'm starving. I am most thankful for my family. I created life with the man I love."

Seth smiled at her tenderly. "My turn?" He asked, and everyone agreed. "You, of course!" He said to Johnny beside him in his high chair. "That's all I can really say."

His parents followed next, and of course, they were most thankful for their new role as not just grandparents, but as Johnny's primary caregivers. Kimber was touched it meant so much to them, and she could see the bond her son had with them, especially his with his grandpa Joe. She wished her own parents could spend as much time with her son, but she imagined that would come later, when Johnny was older.

Then it was her parents' turn, and her mother spoke for both of them. "We are so thankful, and proud that both of our girls are so happy and successful. We love you so much, and we're your number one fans."

"Awww, Mom..." Kira smiled, and wiped her eyes again.

Kimber realized that although it was Dolph's turn, he seemed like he was a million miles away. Her dad nudged him and whispered something to him, and he blushed. Suddenly, she knew exactly what was about to happen and her jaw dropped. Remembering the cameras, she closed it quickly and looked over at her sister, who didn't realize Dolph was about to pop the question.

"I guess it's my turn to say my piece," he began. "Almost a year ago I met the love of my life..." He paused, and Kimber recognized he'd totally drawn a blank on whatever romantic speech he'd planned, it was the same deer-in-headlights look people got on their faces when they forgot their promos. "I've never...never done this before, so I'm not sure what to say, so I'm just going to come right out with it..."

He got on bended knee and pulled a jeweler's box from his pocket and opened it, displaying a huge princess-cut diamond set in a platinum eternity band. Kira gasped. "Oh my god..."

Dolph took her hand. "Brynn Mary Melrose...until I met you, I didn't know what true love was. Please make me the most thankful man in the world tonight and be my wife."

Kira was crying, but she managed to say: "Yes, yes, yes, oh my god, yes!"

Her guy smiled with relief, and put the ring on her finger before Kira threw herself into his arms. "I love you so much!" She cried, with great gusto, before letting him go to really look at her ring. "Oh my god, I'm engaged!"

The only person who'd known Dolph was going to propose was his future father in-law. Dolph had stuck to tradition, and went to him to ask permission to propose to Kira. Dad, of course, gave his blessing, shook his hand, and told no one. This was all explained in the follow-up interview for the show, which had been given the awful name of _Seth+Kimber, Home Sweet Home._ The name didn't even make sense, since the pilot, which had premiered Sunday night, hadn't even been filmed at home. But, it had done quite good in the ratings despite being aired during the Sunday night football games. Kimber hoped the one they'd filmed today would do even better, for the sake of her sister becoming a big deal, like herself.

The announcement of their engagement lit up social media, and Kira could hardly believe the instant growth of followers on her accounts. News of the engagement was even covered by wrestling media outlets, and it was Kira's first mention there. It was revealed she was the younger sister of Women's Intercontinental Champion Kimber Rollins, the sister in-law of Seth Rollins, and that she had been training at the WWE Performance Center for several months. Little sister's sudden huge thrust into the spotlight made big sister nervous. WWE might decide to push her on to the main roster too soon if they thought she could be profitable. Her NXT debut was coming up next month. Kimber, of course, had arranged to be there, with Mom, Dad, and Dolph. She could take Kira to the school, work a match with her and see how far she'd really come, but she knew that no matter how good of a wrestler her sister had become, it wouldn't matter at all in the locker room. _Nobody_ knew that better than Kimber, now a locker room leader. If Kira was called up too soon, no amount of big sister's power was going to stop the overall resentment, and she was sure to have it even more, just because she was Kimber's little sister, and Seth's sister in-law; nepotism.

That reminded her she still hadn't made a decision about Alexa's offer of servitude. After her parents and in-laws left, she changed into gym clothes and headed to the home gym to bust out the Thanksgiving Day WOD her husband had done earlier. The camera crew went with her and she talked about CrossFit a little bit, and said what her husband was known to say: _No days off._ She had hoped to just lose herself in the workout, accompanied by death metal, and emerge knowing what she would say to Alexa. But instead, she had to make a show out of it and name the movements, talk about what areas of the body they worked, and by the time it was over, her time absolutely sucked thanks to _Seth+Kimber, Home Sweet Home,_ Thanksgiving edition.

The camera crew left before the visitors began showing up. Kimber and Kira served leftovers, pie, and beverages. Kimber smiled and chuckled a little to herself when she noticed that Kira was taking pains to use her left hand, to show off her ring. Kimber herself was also wearing her engagement ring (and wedding band), but usually she, like her husband, wore a black gym ring in lieu of the expensive jewels and metals. She thought that if her husband's love could be symbolized by a piece of jewelry, it would be her charm bracelet, not her wedding rings. It was the visual story of their love and life together. A slice of pizza. A briefcase. An "I Love You". The first three charms he'd given her, when he gave her the bracelet shortly after they'd made love for the first time. That was followed by: their symbols intertwined; blocks spelling out the word "baby"; a tiny replica of her engagement ring, with real diamonds; a star; the word "Bride" studded in diamonds; an amethyst heart, her birthstone; a Valentine heart inscribed "Forever"; a whole pizza (given to her on the anniversary of the night they'd met); a mother-and-baby; her new symbol. She was willing to bet there would be another custom made charm coming very soon, possibly tonight, a tiny women's IC title.

Seth stuck to his tradition of putting up the tree, and with the help from their friends, it went a lot quicker, even though everyone was full of holiday cheer, so to speak. Everyone admired the tree and took a bunch of pictures of it and with it. When Seth excused himself and Johnny for a quick diaper change, Kimber had a feeling it was going to be time to take the Rollins family Christmas card picture. She wondered if they'd wear the ugly sweaters or not as she took a nice picture of Kira and her husband-to-be in front of the pretty tree.

Her answer came when Seth reappeared with Johnny, who was now dressed in a black suit, white shirt, red tie, and black baby dress shoes, and Paulie, wearing a festive red bandana. Seth was still in his Thanksgiving dress clothes, and had wet down his hair. "Picture time," he told her.

"Of course. I'll be right back." She kissed both him and her son and hurried to her bedroom. She reapplied her lipstick, and blotted the slight shine on her face away with toilet paper. She smoothed her black pencil skirt and adjusted her black blouse. In the mirror, she saw her husband approach, and she turned into his embrace.

"Perfection achieved," he said, and kissed her. "But, if I dare add one more thing..." He pulled a small, gift-wrapped box from his pocket and handed it to her. "Sorry it took me awhile to get this one."

Kimber smiled, and opened the box. Of course, it was the mini IC title she'd thought about earlier, only all white gold so as not to clash with the rest of her charms. The detail was so exquisite she wanted to cry. "Oh, darling, it's...it's the best thing ever!"

"Look," he said, and turned it over. It was engraved with the date she'd won her first title in WWE, becoming the first ever holder of a brand new title, and forever cementing herself into WWE history.

Seth produced a second box. "I got you another, but I'm not sure you want it." He opened it to reveal a white gold tactical vest charm.

"I love it," Kimber decided. "Despite how godawful it was being in the Shield, it's part of our history together. And, I know there's a double entendre in this charming charm." She gave him a sexy smile followed by a passionate kiss. She felt him grow hard against her and looked down. "I'll wear my vest tonight."


End file.
